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predicament

predicament

81 5.8
A difficult or embarrassing situation that is hard to escape
  • noun
  • /prɪˈdɪkəmənt/
translation icon : apuro
  • We found ourselves in a difficult predicament when our car broke down in the middle of nowhere.
  • face a predicament
  • solution to the predicament
  • resolve the predicament

As he absorbs the awfulness of his predicament, he does nothing.

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Examples

  • You got yourself in quite a predicament, Mr. Crewe.

  • But the media spotlight on Russia's invasion of Ukraine has made customers more understanding of the predicament these businesses find themselves in.

  • Poor choice of words for my predicament, that is.

  • White men in the same in the same predicament either got to go home or go to jail.

  • I knew a man in a similar predicament, and he ended up being sorry.

  • I have thought about my predicament that day many times over the years.

    Academic text (1993)
  • If we think hard and honestly about this predicament, we will find comfort and solidarity.

    Academic text (1999)
  • I think that's just a predicament that we are in.

  • Quite the predicament you're in.

  • They understood the potentiality of human beings, their limitations, and the predicament in which they live.

Synonyms

problem
vspredicament
1.2

A situation that causes trouble and needs a solution

is a specific hard to escape situation rather than any trouble
dilemma
vspredicament
258 4.2

A situation where you must choose between two or more bad options

refers to a difficult situation rather than a decision problem
distress
vspredicament
240 3.6

A state of very strong pain, worry or serious trouble

is about a difficult situation rather than inner emotional suffering
hardship
vspredicament
128 3.4

A time of serious difficulty, often with little money or food

is broader, not limited to severe suffering or economic causes
plight
vspredicament
98 6.5

A difficult situation that is hard to get out of

is neutral about cause and does not stress misfortune
adversity
vspredicament
71 4.9

A difficult time when you face many problems

is the general difficult condition not necessarily tied to misfortune
bind
vspredicament
  • Informal
68 6.5

A difficult situation that is hard to get out of

is the general difficult condition rather than a specific troublesome case
pinch
vspredicament
  • Informal
40 4.5

A time when people have little money and life is hard

is not limited to sudden crises and can cover longer difficulties
quagmire
vspredicament
25 7.9

A difficult situation that is hard to escape or solve

is similar but does not stress complication or messiness
quandary
vspredicament
25 8.2

A situation when you do not know what to do

is about the difficult situation itself rather than choice uncertainty
strait
vspredicament
21 8.2

A difficult time when people have little money or help

means a difficult situation but not necessarily hardship or suffering
in a jam
vspredicament
  • Informal
14 6.7

In trouble and needing help to fix a problem

is the neutral label for any difficult or unpleasant situation
dire straits
vspredicament
  • Informal
11 7.4

A very difficult situation that causes serious money problems

is broader and does not require extreme severity or economic causes
morass
vspredicament
10 9.3

A confusing situation full of problems that is hard to get out of

focuses on general difficulty rather than confusion or complexity
in a tight spot
vspredicament
  • Informal
8 4.2

In a difficult situation that is hard to get out of

is the more general neutral term for such hard situations
in a pickle
vspredicament
  • Informal
7 8.3

In trouble and not sure what to do

is a broader description without the colloquial or awkward nuance
mire
vspredicament
5 8.1

A difficult situation that is hard to escape

is a broader term for difficult or unpleasant situations
tricky situation
vspredicament
4 3.7

A difficult situation that is hard to deal with

covers such cases but is more general about difficulty
behind the eight-ball
vspredicament
  • Informal
3 9.6

In a difficult situation with little chance to make things better

is the neutral term for difficulty without the disadvantage nuance
desperate straits
vspredicament
2 7.4

A situation of very great trouble and urgent need with no easy way out

is the general difficult condition rather than an extreme case
up the creek without a paddle
vspredicament
  • Informal
1 9.9

A very bad situation with no way to fix it

covers difficult situations but not always hopelessness or lack of solution
knotty situation
vspredicament
7.7

A difficult problem with no easy solution

is similar but does not emphasise interlocking complexity
straits
vspredicament
7.4

A difficult time when someone has little money or many problems

is a general difficult situation not always tied to hardship
mire of one's own making
vspredicament
8.8

A difficult situation you cause by your own choices or actions

is neutral about origin and may not be self caused

Antonyms

2.8

Something that helps a person do better than others

How Difficult

disaster
1.0
crisis
3.1
predicament
81 5.8
problem
1.2
difficulty
651 2.4

Surface Forms

predicament singular
predicaments plural

Etymology

Predicament comes from an old word about 'to declare' or 'to state' and is related to predicate, which is about saying or naming a condition. Over time it came to mean the situation someone is placed in, usually a difficult one you find hard to get out of.