as in ordeals
a negative event or circumstance that is common to a particular setting or situation and is usually beyond one's control
The vicissitudes of medical school proved too much for the anxious student.
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of vicissitudes
Throughout this dense and always engrossing survey of Lean’s career in film, Thompson threads the vicissitudes of the director’s personal life, spanning six wives and various other relationships and flings.
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2026
The show is good at making the off-and-on vicissitudes of modern dating feel natural to the plot.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
The Kino Babylon, opened in 1929 and still going strong despite vicissitudes, is an appropriate venue for Guadalajara’s 40th anniversary showcase.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
The family drama is underpinned by the vicissitudes inherent in moviemaking.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 19 Jan. 2026
Their vicissitudes are both timely and for all time.
—Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Dec. 2025
Whatever its reputation, the OIGC is still subject to the vicissitudes of other arts organizations.
—Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
By using non-actors who have endured the vicissitudes of the world, Laxe didn’t have to develop the characters in a conventional way.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 12 Nov. 2025
Renaissance has prided itself on a debt-free history, despite the vicissitudes of performing arts fundraising.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2026
The show is good at making the off-and-on vicissitudes of modern dating feel natural to the plot.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
The Kino Babylon, opened in 1929 and still going strong despite vicissitudes, is an appropriate venue for Guadalajara’s 40th anniversary showcase.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
The family drama is underpinned by the vicissitudes inherent in moviemaking.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 19 Jan. 2026
Their vicissitudes are both timely and for all time.
—Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Dec. 2025
Whatever its reputation, the OIGC is still subject to the vicissitudes of other arts organizations.
—Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
By using non-actors who have endured the vicissitudes of the world, Laxe didn’t have to develop the characters in a conventional way.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 12 Nov. 2025
Renaissance has prided itself on a debt-free history, despite the vicissitudes of performing arts fundraising.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicissitudes
Noun
-
Meanwhile, Phillips said, victims are left to live with the impacts of the perpetrators’ actions — with the survivors in this case forced to continue to relive their ordeals as the case continues on to the Court of Appeal.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
3 June 2026
-
And for that matter, how could adults accurately account for such ordeals?—
Emily Watlington,
ARTnews.com,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
Farmers markets — that humble and charming throwback to a bygone era — are also struggling with higher fuel prices, after weathering the economic calamities of the pandemic and other misfortunes.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
-
The Philadelphia singer-songwriter seeks out the mystical potential of quotidian misfortunes in a set of psychedelic-of-center bedroom pop songs.—
Lily Goldberg,
Pitchfork,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There are also suites designed to accommodate mobility challenges, featuring wider doorways, grab bars in the bathroom, and roll-in showers.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Memories of those early, exhausting days of fatherhood cannot be extricated from the challenges of rewriting a particularly thorny vignette.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Despite Pleasanton’s financial troubles, former Councilwoman Valerie Arkin spoke at Tuesday’s meeting to thank Beaudin for his service during and after her time on the council.—
Kyle Martin,
Mercury News,
7 June 2026
-
The Covid pandemic worsened its financial troubles.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Meanwhile, the European settlers, underprepared for actual conditions in the region, suffered great privations, and only 1,500 remained by 1832.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Diaries kept by Eugenia Zieber describe the privations of the trail, chief among them the frequent deaths of fellow travelers.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vicissitudes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicissitudes. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
