Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A state of uncertainty or perplexity. See Synonyms at predicament.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A state of difficulty or perplexity; a state of uncertainty, hesitation, or puzzlement; a pickle; a predicament.
- To put into a quandary; bring into a state of uncertainty or difficulty.
- To be in a difficulty or uncertainty; hesitate.
Wiktionary
- n. A state of not knowing what to decide; a state of difficulty or perplexity; a state of uncertainty, hesitation or puzzlement; a pickle; a predicament.
- n. A dilemma, a difficult decision or choice.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A state of difficulty or perplexity; doubt; uncertainty.
- v. To bring into a state of uncertainty, perplexity, or difficulty.
WordNet 3.0
- n. state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options
- n. a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one
Etymologies
- Origin unknown.
Examples
“The United States should encourage the Arab League to not only endorse the continuation of direct talks at this critical juncture, but also be more creative, take the initiative and change the dynamic of the negotiations regardless of how the settlement quandary is resolved.”
“The answer to your quandary is that you always have an “opportunity to respond” at this blog.”
“If Larry Johnson's situation gets resolved, the quarterback quandary is successfully solved and the defense continues to improve, a fan would have reason for cautious optimism.”
“The easiest way to solve that quandary is to bring fantasy baseball into the world of modern statistical analysis.”
“I suppose my quandary is this: James is the one applying for the visa.”
“Hapthorn's quandary is that the men of Olkney have been robbed of their wealth, looks and intelligence, possibly because of the presence of magic.”
“And then we have the quandary: is this fact worth reporting in the wake of the level of anger already there?”
“Europe†™ s offer of petrol places Bush in quandary”
“Part of West Africa's quandary is that although its population belts are horizontal, with habitation densities increasing as one travels south away from the Sahara and toward the tropical abundance of the Atlantic littoral, the borders erected by European colonialists are vertical, and therefore at cross-purposes with demography and topography.”
“I’m in a quandary, is the bigger crime giving this guy a camera, a computer, fingers or taste buds?”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘quandary’.
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Eesily missspellable words
absence, abundance, accessible, accidentally, acclaim, accommodate, accomplish, accordion, accumulate, achievement, acquaintance, across and 420 more...
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4084 more...
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SAT Words
But only the ones that I don't already know.
abase, abash, abominate, abstruse, acclivity, accolade, accost, adroit, adulate, adulterate, adumbrate, affray and 241 more...
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pusadolfo's list
wicked, sycophant, zephyr, callipygian, ubiquitous, superfluous, halcyon, conundrum, perspicacious, acute, virtuous, ludicrous and 7 more...
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fancy essay words
hiatus, ontology, exegesis, hermeneutics, dialectics, demiurge, ascertain, contention, eschatological, synecdoche, centripetal, centrifugal and 86 more...
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