quandary

/ˈkwɔn.də.ɹi/ /kwɒnˈdɛə.ɹɪ/ /ˈkwɑn.də.ɹi/

Meanings

noun

A state of not knowing what to decide; a state of difficulty or perplexity; a state of uncertainty, hesitation or puzzlement.

Examples :

"The student was in a quandary about which college to choose. "

noun

A dilemma, a difficult decision or choice.

Examples :

"Facing two great job offers, Maria found herself in a quandary: accept the higher salary or take the job with better growth opportunities. "

situation mind philosophy moral

Related Words

knowing verb

/ˈnəʊɪŋ/ /ˈnoʊɪŋ/

To perceive the truth or factuality of; to be certain of or that.

"He knew something terrible was going to happen."

opportunities noun

/ˌɒp.əˈtjuː.nɪ.tiz/ /ˌɑpɚˈtunətiz/

A chance for advancement, progress or profit.

""Learning a new language opens up many opportunities for travel and better job prospects." "

hesitation noun

/hɛzɪˈteɪʃən/

An act of hesitating

"The student's hesitation before answering the question was noticeable. "

college noun

/ˈkɒlɪd͡ʒ/ /ˈkɑlɪd͡ʒ/

A corporate group; a group of colleagues.

"The college of teachers collaborated on a new curriculum for the school. "

difficulty noun

/ˈdɪfɪkəlti/

The state of being difficult, or hard to do.

"The difficulty of the math problem made it hard for many students to solve it. "

uncertainty noun

/ʌnˈsɜːtənti/ /ʌnˈsɝtənti/

Doubt; the condition of being uncertain or without conviction.

"There's a lot of uncertainty about the final exam's topic, so students are studying everything. "

student noun

/ˈstjuː.dənt/ /ˈstu.dn̩t/

A person who studies or learns about a particular subject.

"He is a student of life."

dilemma noun

/daɪˈlɛmə/

A circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable.

"Choosing a summer job presented a dilemma for Sarah. She liked the prospect of working at the bookstore, but the hours were limited. The camp counselor position offered more hours, but she didn't want to be away from home for so long. "

perplexity noun

/pəˈplɛksɪti/ /pəɹˈplɛksədi/

The state or quality of being perplexed; puzzled or confused.

"The student's face showed her perplexity as she stared at the complicated math problem. "

puzzlement noun

/ˈpʌzəlmənt/ /ˈpʌzl̩mənt/

The confusing state of being puzzled; bewilderment

"Her face showed clear puzzlement when she couldn't find her keys. "

decision noun

/dɪˈsɪʒən/

The act of deciding.

"After careful consideration, the student made a decision about which college to attend. "

difficult verb

/ˈdɪfɪkəlt/

To make difficult; to impede; to perplex.

"The complicated instructions on the new software difficult me from completing the project on time. "