adversity

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adversity

  • /ædˈvɜː.sɪ.ti/ UK
  • /ædˈvɝ.sɪ.ti/ Canada, US
  • [ædˈvɝ.sɪ.ɾi] Canada, US
  • /ædˈvɜː.sɪ.ti/ Australia
  • /ɛdˈvøː.sə.ti/ New Zealand

Where it comes from

From Old French adversité, from Latin adversitātem, the accusative singular of adversitās, from adversus, the perfect passive participle of advertō (“to turn toward”).

noun adversities

  1. uncountable, usually The state of adverse conditions; state of misfortune or calamity. The doctor loved the squire, loved him as his oldest friend; but he loved him ten times better as being in adversity than he could ever have done had things gone well at Greshansbury in his time.

    Similar: mischance, misluck, adverseness, adversity, bad cess, bad luck, disadventure, hard luck, ill luck, illfare, misadventure, misfortune

  2. countable, usually An event that is adverse; calamity. Having “secret notice,” the writer of “True Remembrances” declares of the above complains, he retired into Munster, intending to proceed to England, to justify himself; but was detained there for want of money by the breaking out of rebellion. This adversity befell him in the autumn of 1598.

    Similar: nakba · Opposite: fortuity

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: hardship, hostility, plight, misfortune, evil, misery, predicament, hostile, antagonism, difficulty, suffering, ordeal, woe, setback, accident, disaster

Translations

Every language

noun state of being adverse

Españoladversidad
한국어역경 yeokgyeong
日本語逆境 gyakkyō
中文逆境 nìjìng
हिन्दीप्रतिकूलता pratikūltā
Portuguêsadversidade
Françaismalheur, adversité
DeutschWidrigkeit, Ungemach
Italianoavversità
Ελληνικάαντιξοότητες antixoótites
Românăadversitate
Русскийбеда́ bedá, несча́стье nesčástʹje, бе́дствие bédstvije
العربيةبُؤْس buʔs, ضَنْك ḍank

noun adverse event

Españoladversidad
हिन्दीप्रतिकूल pratikūl
Portuguêsadversidade, infortúnio
Françaisadversité
DeutschWidrigkeit, widriges Ereignis, widriger Vorfall
Italianoavversità
Românăadversitate
Русскийнеприя́тности neprijátnosti, несча́стья nesčástʹja, бе́дствия bédstvija, беда́ bedá
Tiếng Việtnghịch cảnh
العربيةمُصِيبَة muṣība

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Cite this
MLA

"adversity." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/adversity. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

adversity. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/adversity

Chicago

"adversity." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/adversity.

BibTeX
@misc{adversity_2026,
  title = {adversity},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/adversity},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}