vicissitudes

noun

plural of vicissitude
as in ordeals
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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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 vicissitudes The individual ceramic tiles create a complete composition but are also subject to the vicissitudes of the kiln. — Marissa Gluck, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 Analysts at research firm Trivium and think tank ODI Global said the surge points to Beijing stockpiling to protect its economy against market vicissitudes, given the global scarcity of PGMs. — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026 At Sky, the work people like Haynes and military analyst Michael Clarke do will also be kept free (or as free as possible) from the vicissitudes of social media. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026 Throughout this dense and always engrossing survey of Lean’s career in film, Thompson threads the vicissitudes of the director’s personal life, spanning six wives and various other relationships and flings. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2026 The show is good at making the off-and-on vicissitudes of modern dating feel natural to the plot. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicissitudes
  1. ordeals
  2. misfortunes
  3. challenges
  4. troubles
  5. privations
Noun
  • But passengers don’t have to be helpless during these stressful ordeals.
    — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The two have remained united throughout the murder investigation and subsequent legal ordeals regarding Kohberger.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of ordeals
Noun
  • Poliński said Zosia would likely have been blamed for misfortunes such as disease and famine that often plagued the region in the 17th century, which people sometimes attributed to supernatural activity by the dead.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • But the fire this time was started by a son, which led to raging misfortunes that consumed his three brothers one by one, leaving only ashen memories for his surviving sister and aged parents to sift through.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of misfortunes
Noun
  • Others cited recruitment challenges – almost four in ten said attracting top talent is harder in Europe than in the US.
    — Sophie Dembinski, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • And strength to resist reducing complex human challenges to slogans, enemies, or simple answers.
    — Halla Tómasdóttir, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of challenges
Noun
  • Burbank Airport's new terminal faced some opening-day troubles after GPS apps took travelers to the old terminal on Tuesday.
    — Jeff Nguyen, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Since then, she’s gotten into therapy to address the childhood trauma that led to her addiction and subsequent legal troubles.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of troubles
Noun
  • Yamal has spoken about being recognised on the street at 13, the privations of fame accrued before puberty.
    — Jack Lang, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, the European settlers, underprepared for actual conditions in the region, suffered great privations, and only 1,500 remained by 1832.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
Definition of privations

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Cite this Entry

“Vicissitudes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicissitudes. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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