Meaning & use
predicament
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Meaning
nouncountable
A difficult or awkward situation in which it is hard to decide what to do or how to escape.
Grammar: Usually singular with an or the: be in a predicament.
Patterns
- be in a predicament
- find yourself in a predicament
I'm in a predicament: I double-booked two meetings at the same hour.
The company found itself in a financial predicament after losing its biggest client.
Her predicament was awkward because both friends had asked for her help.
Word forms
| plural | predicaments |
|---|
Common combinations
- a difficult predicament
- They were in a difficult predicament with no money and no ride home.
- find oneself in a predicament
- He found himself in a predicament after losing his keys.
- a legal predicament
- The tenant's legal predicament worsened when the landlord sued.
- solve a predicament
- A neighbor helped them solve their predicament with a spare ladder.
- sad predicament
- The stranded hikers' sad predicament made the news.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dilemma
- A dilemma is a choice between two unwelcome options, while a predicament is the unpleasant situation itself.
- plight
- Plight stresses a sad or serious condition and often invites sympathy, while predicament may be mild or even comic.
- quandary
- Quandary stresses uncertainty about what to do, with less sense of being trapped than predicament.
- jam
- Jam is an informal word for a tight spot and is less formal than predicament.
Commonly confused: predicament or dilemma?
predicament vs dilemma
A dilemma is a choice between two difficult options, while a predicament is a trouble that you are in.
Practice
I'm in a ______: I promised to attend two weddings that take place at the same time in different cities.
Choose one answer.
A predicament is an awkward situation with no easy solution. The other nouns do not describe being stuck.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “predicament”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.