Synonyms

quandary

American

[kwon-duh-ree, -dree] / ˈkwɒn də ri, -dri /

noun

plural

quandaries

a state of perplexity or uncertainty, especially as to what to do; dilemma.

quandary British

/ -dərɪ, ˈkwɒndrɪ /

noun

a situation or circumstance that presents problems difficult to solve; predicament; dilemma

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See predicament.

Etymology

Origin of quandary

First recorded in 1570–80; perhaps fancifully from Latin quand(ō) “when” + -āre infinitive suffix

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The employment of fully autonomous weapons presents real ethical quandaries, though the technology isn’t ready for that.

From The Wall Street Journal

But what is “it”? One of the biggest quandaries when investigating the nature of consciousness is that no one can seem to even agree on what it is.

From Los Angeles Times

Partly as a result of the moral quandaries, Mr. Solomon finishes his book far more ambivalent about colonizing Mars than he was at the outset.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Many times we have strong reasons to keep something like this secret. And I can’t tell you the reasons without giving away the secrets. Quite a quandary, isn’t it?”

From Literature

This episode is unlikely to help resolve the Liberal Party's quandaries.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023