1
as in misfortune
bad luck or an example of this
many people came face-to-face with life-altering adversity when the stock market crashed
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hardship
something that is a cause for suffering or special effort especially in the attainment of a goal
some overcame all the adversities of the Great Depression and rebuilt their fortunes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of adversity
Pearls are a sign of adversity.
—
Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
According to him, these engagements are designed to help business leaders think differently about adversity, not as an exception, but as an inevitability that requires preparation.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2026
Winning despite adversity, more than anything, is what stands out.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
Just 18 years old, Dylan Law has faced numerous health challenges, but has never given up when faced with adversity.
—Kelsie Hoffman, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adversity
Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
According to him, these engagements are designed to help business leaders think differently about adversity, not as an exception, but as an inevitability that requires preparation.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2026
Winning despite adversity, more than anything, is what stands out.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
Just 18 years old, Dylan Law has faced numerous health challenges, but has never given up when faced with adversity.
—Kelsie Hoffman, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adversity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adversity
Noun
-
The latter faces more corruption up front, but both protagonists deal with their fair share of misfortune, growing up all too fast as a result.—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The Philadelphia singer-songwriter seeks out the mystical potential of quotidian misfortunes in a set of psychedelic-of-center bedroom pop songs.—
Lily Goldberg,
Pitchfork,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Economic hardship and devaluations of the rial were key factors behind major anti-government protests at the start of the year.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The government says the hardship is the consequence of an unjust war inflicted on Iranians by the US and Israel.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Are those the exact services a family needs and can rely on to avoid tragedy?—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The investigation falls amid a variety of other probes into the tragedy at Camp Mystic, including as part of lawsuits filed by families against the camp’s leaders.—
Ashley Killough,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The 18th Street Station has a lot of stairs, so passengers with difficulty using stairs should use the McCormick Place station.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Low-mass stars such as red dwarfs vastly outnumber high-mass stars, a distribution astronomers call the 'initial mass function', but why this should be weighted towards lower-mass stars is uncertain — and certainly not helped by the difficulties in observing their growth.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adversity. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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