vicissitude

noun

Definition of vicissitudenext
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.

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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 The family drama is underpinned by the vicissitudes inherent in moviemaking. — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 19 Jan. 2026 Their vicissitudes are both timely and for all time. — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Dec. 2025 Whatever its reputation, the OIGC is still subject to the vicissitudes of other arts organizations. — Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025 By using non-actors who have endured the vicissitudes of the world, Laxe didn’t have to develop the characters in a conventional way. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 12 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vicissitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicissitude
  1. ordeal
  2. gauntlet
  3. misfortune
  4. privation
Noun
  • That entire ordeal is presented in detail, a backstage drama in miniature that treats the boardroom soap opera as the last chance to keep Pandora’s box shut.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Machchhar appeared emotional in the call with Modi while recalling the ordeal, and apologized to the prime minister for crying on the phone.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of ordeal
Noun
  • To complete his gauntlet in November, Flora must defeat Matthew Adams — a Democrat who doesn’t have the name recognition or financial backing of the incumbent.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Ohio State and Alabama need wins to maintain momentum ahead of a tougher gantlet, while Mississippi State and Iowa look to prove hot starts are no fluke.
    — Matt Piper, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of gauntlet
Noun
  • Yet the melodrama of the Trask men—and the misfortune of the women who come into their lives—has seldom been brought to the screen, most likely because of the challenges posed by the saga’s narrative sprawl.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2026
  • In the greatest misfortune of a very unlucky life, Fantine (Noémie Merlant) stops at the tavern the Thénardiers run on her way to Montreuil with her angelic daughter Cosette.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of misfortune
Noun
  • The catastrophe was a reminder of not only the destructiveness of Israeli bombing, but also the depth of the continuing privation in Gaza today.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Though each of the Ghetto’s three areas (the Ghetto Nuovo, the Ghetto Vecchio, and the Ghetto Nuovissimo) retained its own, distinct character until remarkably late, it was always cramped, unsanitary, and marred by privation.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of privation

Browse Nearby Words

viciousness
vicissitude
vicissitudes
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Cite this Entry

“Vicissitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicissitude. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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