Synonyms for dilemma
Most common
All synonyms
Noun
1. Quandary — any difficult circumstance or problem
quandary, predicament, conundrum, problem, difficulty, plight, fix, trouble, perplexity, pickle, quagmire, spot, hole, strait, pinch, bind, jam, scrape, embarrassment
Definitions
- n. 1
Any difficult circumstance or problem.
Related words
- Phrases
- agency dilemma false dilemma in a dilemma
- Is a kind of
- option
Forms
- Plural
- dilemmas → quandaries, predicaments, conundrums, problems…
Example sentences
- difficulty I had difficulty getting a ticket for the concert.
- predicament This is a fine predicament you've gotten us into.
- conundrum The question of free will is a prickly conundrum to religion.
- quandary Tom was in a quandary about who to vote for in the election.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| dilemma | steady | |
| difficulty | falling | |
| predicament | rising | |
| conundrum | rising | |
| quandary | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- fix1, jam1
- 4 letters
- spot1, hole1, bind1
- 5 letters
- pinch1
- 6 letters
- strait1, plight1, pickle2, scrape1
- 7 letters
- problem2, trouble2
- 8 letters
- quagmire3, quandary3
- 9 letters
- conundrum3
- 10 letters
- difficulty4, perplexity4
- 11 letters
- predicament4
- 13 letters
- embarrassment4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (pickle2 = 2 syllables).