Meaning & use
dilemma
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Meanings
nouncountable
A situation in which you must choose between options that are all unattractive or that each carry a cost, so any decision feels hard.
Grammar: Countable and often preceded by an or the; common after in, face or solve: in a dilemma.
Patterns
- a dilemma about something
- face a dilemma
- be in a dilemma
She faced a dilemma: take the better job or stay near her aging parents.
The council is in a dilemma over whether to cut services or raise taxes.
Whether to tell his friend the truth was a real dilemma for Tom.
nouncountableinformal
Any difficult problem or puzzling situation, even one with more than two possible choices.
Grammar: A looser everyday use; it can stand for any tough problem, as in a parking dilemma.
Patterns
- a dilemma for someone
Choosing a name for the puppy turned into a family dilemma.
The shortage of teachers is a dilemma for many schools.
It is a dilemma for anyone who loves food but dislikes cooking.
Word forms
| plural | dilemmas |
|---|
Common combinations
- face a dilemma
- Farmers face a dilemma when prices fall but costs rise.
- moral dilemma
- The nurse struggled with a moral dilemma about sharing the information.
- ethical dilemma
- The study raised an ethical dilemma for researchers.
- resolve a dilemma
- The two sides could not resolve the dilemma without compromise.
- on the horns of a dilemma
- Trapped on the horns of a dilemma, he simply stayed silent.
Synonyms and how they differ
- quandary
- Quandary stresses being confused about what to do, while dilemma stresses the difficult choice itself.
- predicament
- Predicament describes an unpleasant situation you are stuck in, not necessarily a choice between options.
- catch-22
- A catch-22 is a trap where the solution is blocked by the problem itself, which is narrower than a dilemma.
- bind
- Bind is a more informal word for an awkward spot and does not require a choice between options.
Opposites
Word family
- dilemmatic adjective
- rare word meaning involving a dilemma
Commonly confused: dilemma or delemma? dilemma or diagnosis?
dilemma vs delemma
This is a common misspelling; the correct spelling is dilemma, with an i in the first syllable.
dilemma vs diagnosis
A diagnosis identifies a problem; a dilemma is a hard choice.
Practice
He was in a ___ because both job offers had serious drawbacks.
Choose one answer.
A dilemma is a hard choice between unattractive options. A solution or reward would not describe a difficult choice.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dilemma”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.