via crucis
- noun
- /ˈviːə ˈkruːsɪs/
- Literature
:
vía crucis
- For many refugees, the journey to safety is a via crucis filled with hardship and uncertainty.
Examples
-
Completing the project turned into a via crucis because of constant setbacks and challenges.
-
Her journey through illness was a true via crucis.
-
The long recovery after his accident was a true via crucis for him and his family.
-
Many people experience a via crucis before achieving their dreams.
-
The long recovery after his accident was a true via crucis for him and his family.
-
Completing the project turned into a via crucis because of constant setbacks and challenges.
-
For many refugees, the journey to safety is a via crucis filled with hardship and uncertainty.
Synonyms
5
9.3
Very painful suffering that feels like being punished or tortured
A constant source of pain that you must bear
A time of deep suffering that tests a person's faith or strength
Constant pain or trouble that you feel every day
The act of causing very severe pain to someone
Antonyms
How Severe
135
3.9
34
9.1
- Literature
137
4.8
128
3.4
651
2.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
via + crucis
This is a Latin loanphrase originally meaning 'way of the cross' and used figuratively to mean an ordeal; 'via' (route) does not by itself convey 'prolonged suffering' and 'crucis' is a Latin form that a B1 learner is unlikely to know or interpret. The expression is culturally and historically specific (religious idiom) and therefore its figurative meaning cannot be reliably derived from the listed constituents, making it opaque to learners.
Etymology
Via crucis comes from the phrase 'way of the cross', the painful walk Jesus made to the place of his death. Because that journey was long and hard, people now use via crucis to describe 'a long, hard time' or a serious ordeal.