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Meaning & use

face of adversity

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UK/ˌfeɪs əv ədˈvɜːsəti/
US/ˌfeɪs əv ædˈvɜːrsəti/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phrase

    A situation in which someone must deal with serious difficulty, trouble, or misfortune.

    Grammar: Used mainly after 'in the face of'; the whole phrase acts like a noun describing hard circumstances.

    Patterns

    • in the face of adversity
    • face adversity
    • show courage in the face of adversity

    She kept her sense of humor in the face of adversity.

    The team showed real courage in the face of adversity after losing their captain.

    In the face of adversity, small acts of kindness matter most.

  2. phraseidiomfigurative

    Used to describe people who stay strong and keep trying when life is very hard.

    Grammar: Often appears in praise or motivational writing, usually with verbs like 'stand', 'remain', or 'stay'.

    Patterns

    • stand in the face of adversity
    • remain strong in the face of adversity

    He remained calm and hopeful in the face of adversity.

    Their friendship grew stronger in the face of adversity.

Common combinations

in the face of adversity
She never gave up in the face of adversity.
show courage in the face of adversity
The nurses showed great courage in the face of adversity.
remain strong in the face of adversity
He remained strong in the face of adversity.
face adversity alone
No one should have to face adversity alone.

Synonyms and how they differ

hardship
Hardship is the difficult experience itself, while 'face of adversity' describes the situation you are standing up to.
misfortune
Misfortune refers to bad luck or an unlucky event; 'adversity' in this phrase suggests ongoing, serious difficulty.
trouble
Trouble is more general and less serious; save this phrase for really hard times.

Opposites

good fortuneease

Word family

adverse adjective
Unfavorable or harmful, as in 'adverse weather conditions'.
adversity noun
A difficult or unlucky situation; the key noun inside this phrase.
adversely adverb
In a harmful way, as in 'affected adversely'.

Commonly confused: face of adversity or adversary?

face of adversity vs adversary

An adversary is an enemy or opponent, not bad luck. 'Adversity' is about hard circumstances.

Practice

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