| Learning / English Dictionary |
QUANDARY
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
State of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options
Synonyms:
dilemma; quandary
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("quandary" is a kind of...):
perplexity (trouble or confusion resulting from complexity)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "quandary"):
double bind ((psychology) an unresolvable dilemma; situation in which a person receives contradictory messages from a person who is very powerful)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one
Example:
the woeful plight of homeless people
Synonyms:
plight; predicament; quandary
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("quandary" is a kind of...):
difficulty (a condition or state of affairs almost beyond one's ability to deal with and requiring great effort to bear or overcome)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "quandary"):
care (a cause for feeling concern)
box; corner (a predicament from which a skillful or graceful escape is impossible)
hot water (a dangerous or distressing predicament)
