noun
quandary
KWON-duh-ree
noun
1
A state of being unsure what to do, especially when facing a difficult choice.
"She was in a quandary about whether to accept the job offer."
"The team found itself in a quandary after the lead engineer quit mid-project."
How to Use Quandary
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA confusing, tricky situation where it is hard to decide what to do.
Common pairings
in a quandary
a moral quandary
face a quandary
Word Forms
quandaries plural
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She was in a _____ about whether to accept the job offer.
Etymology
First recorded in the 1500s; its exact origin is unclear, though some scholars think it may be a playful reshaping of the older word "wandreth," meaning trouble or hardship.