Quandary
Spelling: q-u-a-n-d-a-r-y
Definitions for “quandary”:
1) “A state of difficulty or perplexity; a state of uncertainty, hesitation or puzzlement; a pickle; a predicament.”
2) “ To put into a quandary; bring into a state of uncertainty or difficulty;”
3) “To be in a difficulty or uncertainty; hesitate”
(Century Dictionary
Most common definition:
1) “A state of difficulty or perplexity; a sate of uncertainty, hesitation or puzzlement; a pickle; a predicament.”
(Century Dictionary
Part of Speech: noun
Forms of Speech:
- Singular: quandary
- Plural: quandaries
Two original sentences:
- Once Jim walked past the orange stop sign for the third time, he was in a terrible quandary.
- While Will and Georgia inspected the depth in which our car had sunk into the mud (about two feet), I racked my brain to find a way to get out of this quandary.
- The fact that we had no parachute was a considerable quandary for us to overcome.
Pronunciation: kwon-duh-ree
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When to use quandary:
-When speaking in an intellectual conversation, generally about specific, troubling events. Used in places and with people where/with whom you wouldn't use terms like "in a pickle" but would opt for a more serious descriptive word - in this case, quandary
Synonyms:
- Predicament: Quandary is very alike to the word predicament. Both words are delightfully colorful, and not always commonly used. But, to be in a predicament is more often to be in an unstable and worrisome situation. A quandary is more likely to be a situation that causes a person to pause in confusion and unease.
- To be in a pickle: No I’m not referring to the food. To be in a pickle is a phrase used to represent a problematic state of being. A cliff is not to be in a pickle, but to be falling off of a cliff is to be in a pickle. A quandary is really close to this phrase, but more professional sounding. It would not be suggestible to tell one’s boss that their company is in a pickle. It would be more professional to say that the company is facing a quandary.
Antonyms:
- Solution: The word quandary is basically the opposite of the word solution because a quandary is situations something might be a problem or may not make sense, and a solution is a fix to a problem, or an answer to something that doesn’t make sense.
- Moment of clarity (antonym phrase): A quandary is a moment of confusion or hesitation, so a moment of clarity would be its opposite.
- Order: The word “order” is almost the opposite of the word “quandary” because order is the opposite of confusion. To be in a quandary is to be very confused.
Usefulness Rating:
This word has been rated as four stars out of five stars. Quandary is a great word to describe a befuddling situation (the word befuddling is a very good word too). This word allows the speaker/writer to sound intelligent, and it is also specific enough to allow for clear and easy communication. One problem with the word quandary is that it is easy to misuse. In some situations the word quandary can be too serious or too relaxed, and can cause the speaker/writer to sound sarcastic or silly.
When to use quandary:
-When speaking in an intellectual conversation, generally about specific, troubling events. Used in places and with people where/with whom you wouldn't use terms like "in a pickle" but would opt for a more serious descriptive word - in this case, quandary
Synonyms:
- Predicament: Quandary is very alike to the word predicament. Both words are delightfully colorful, and not always commonly used. But, to be in a predicament is more often to be in an unstable and worrisome situation. A quandary is more likely to be a situation that causes a person to pause in confusion and unease.
- To be in a pickle: No I’m not referring to the food. To be in a pickle is a phrase used to represent a problematic state of being. A cliff is not to be in a pickle, but to be falling off of a cliff is to be in a pickle. A quandary is really close to this phrase, but more professional sounding. It would not be suggestible to tell one’s boss that their company is in a pickle. It would be more professional to say that the company is facing a quandary.
Antonyms:
- Solution: The word quandary is basically the opposite of the word solution because a quandary is situations something might be a problem or may not make sense, and a solution is a fix to a problem, or an answer to something that doesn’t make sense.
- Moment of clarity (antonym phrase): A quandary is a moment of confusion or hesitation, so a moment of clarity would be its opposite.
- Order: The word “order” is almost the opposite of the word “quandary” because order is the opposite of confusion. To be in a quandary is to be very confused.
Usefulness Rating:
This word has been rated as four stars out of five stars. Quandary is a great word to describe a befuddling situation (the word befuddling is a very good word too). This word allows the speaker/writer to sound intelligent, and it is also specific enough to allow for clear and easy communication. One problem with the word quandary is that it is easy to misuse. In some situations the word quandary can be too serious or too relaxed, and can cause the speaker/writer to sound sarcastic or silly.
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