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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Recent Examples of vicissitude
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
Renaissance has prided itself on a debt-free history, despite the vicissitudes of performing arts fundraising.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Mere knick-knacks, which have all disappeared with the vicissitudes of years.
—Adam Verner
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
But Hynes details life’s vicissitudes with poetic exactitude.
—Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vicissitude
Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 12 Nov. 2025
Renaissance has prided itself on a debt-free history, despite the vicissitudes of performing arts fundraising.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Mere knick-knacks, which have all disappeared with the vicissitudes of years.
—Adam Verner
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
But Hynes details life’s vicissitudes with poetic exactitude.
—Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vicissitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicissitude
Noun
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For Nissa True, the owner of Smithville’s Pizza Shoppe, the community support has made the whole ordeal much easier to endure.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
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Wenrick said the department hired an outside firm to investigate the entire ordeal, which includes determining why the patrol was left unlocked.—
Nicole Comstock,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The beginning of the 2026 season has so far been a gauntlet for both teams in terms of the level of competition, but even more so with the schedule congestion, having played three games each in eight days.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
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The foundation of that legacy was forged in the late ’90s with 400 Degreez, an album that doubled as both a gauntlet thrown at the industry and a rallying cry that helped cement Cash Money Records as a dominant force.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Azzi Fudd looks to rebound All-American Azzi Fudd struggled in UConn’s blowout win over UNC, and had a quiet first half versus the Fighting Irish with only four points and more turnovers (4) than assists (3), but despite her misfortune the Huskies still led at halftime.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
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His misfortune derailed last season.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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The earthly experience of personal grief and privation that inspired such transcendent beauty is mind-bending in its own way.—
Eric Bulson,
The Atlantic,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vicissitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicissitude. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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