as in ordeal
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.
Synonyms & Similar 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 vicissitude
People who pay attention to the vicissitudes of Tesla CEO Elon Musk know that the man is not always serious on Twitter.
—
Aarian Marshall, Wired, 10 May 2020
The vicissitudes of history always challenge us in new and often confounding ways; that’s in the nature of things.
—Jon Meacham, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2020
All of the biggest corporate mergers, the deals that determine the vicissitudes of our global markets, happen within their walls.
—Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, 30 Mar. 2020
Sport is usually a constant -- a field, court, track or course that is resistant to the vicissitudes of the world around us.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 12 Mar. 2020
See all Example Sentences for vicissitude 
Aarian Marshall, Wired, 10 May 2020
The vicissitudes of history always challenge us in new and often confounding ways; that’s in the nature of things.
—Jon Meacham, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2020
All of the biggest corporate mergers, the deals that determine the vicissitudes of our global markets, happen within their walls.
—Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, 30 Mar. 2020
Sport is usually a constant -- a field, court, track or course that is resistant to the vicissitudes of the world around us.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 12 Mar. 2020
See all Example Sentences for vicissitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicissitude
Noun
-
Spoelstra even admits that the Butler ordeal challenged him.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2025
-
The search for a kidney donor proved to be a challenging ordeal, with numerous potential donors either facing health issues or failing to match.—
Julia Fomby,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
San Ramon Valley survived the gauntlet and is 22-3, a perfect 9-0 in league play and is expected to be a lock to play in the North Coast Section’s elite Open Division bracket.—
Nathan Canilao,
The Mercury News,
7 Feb. 2025
-
Rewind to September, when Slot threw down the gauntlet to Szobosozlai before the Champions League game away to Milan.—
James Pearce,
The Athletic,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Malen’s misfortune, Villa explain, simply came down to signing too many players in the winter window.—
Jacob Tanswell,
The Athletic,
8 Feb. 2025
-
Meta and Google are not the only companies trying to capitalize on TikTok’s potential misfortune.—
Mike Isaac,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Economic privation could further encourage violent competition between Syrian armed groups over territory and revenues.—
Sam Heller,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2024
-
But envisioning the privation that followed, with Panguna shut down, requires little imagination.—
Sean Williams,
Harper's Magazine,
23 Sep. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near vicissitude
Cite this Entry
“Vicissitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicissitude. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share