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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

adversity en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (California) audio
  • /ædˈvɝ.sɪ.ti/ (Canada, General-American)
  • /ædˈvɜː.sɪ.ti/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • [ædˈvɝ.sɪ.ɾi] (Canada, General-American)
  • /ædˈvɜː.sɪ.ti/ (Australia)
  • /ɛdˈvøː.sə.ti/ (New-Zealand)
  • audio Queensland

Etymology

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

Meanings

  1. (uncountable, usually) The state of adverse conditions; state of misfortune or calamity.
    • God approves all adversity. Not all adversity that the Christian encounters is due to sins in the Christian's life. Not all adversity is the fault of the Christian. 2007, Earl Crouch, “When Adversity Strikes”, in Do You Know?, PublishAmerica, →ISBN, page 60:
    • 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. 1858, Anthony Trollope, Doctor Thorne, Read Books, published 2008, →ISBN, Chapter III, page 55:
    • These are the people who will overcome the adversity, chaos, and destruction of combat and defeat the enemy in war. 1998, Karel Montor et al., “Directing and Coordinating Operations”, in Karel Montor, editor, Naval Leadership: Voices of Experience, 2nd edition, Naval Institute Press, →ISBN, Efficient and Professional Conduct, page 278:
  2. (countable, usually) An event that is adverse; calamity.
    • Every family is struck by adversity at one time or another. No matter how mature the patients are, regardless of the care an advantages they give their children, despite a desirable interactive love between family members, adversity will attack any family 1977, Genevieve Burton, “Family Adversity and the Nurse”, in Interpersonal Relations: A Guide for Nurses, 4th edition, Routledge, published 1979, →ISBN, page 101:
    • 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. 1859 September, “The Great Earl of Cork”, in The Dublin University Magazine: A Literary and Political Journal, volume LIV, Alex Thom & Sons, page 326:
    • Make sure that your child’s adversity is really an adversity. Not having parents who can buy a new car upon your son’s sixteenth birthday is not an adversity. Being the only girl on the block who doesn’t own a designed handbag is not an adversity 2006, Elizabeth Wissner-Gross, “Getting Your Kid off the Waiting List and into the School of His or Her Dreams”, in What Colleges Don't Tell You (and Other Parents Don't Want You to Know: 272 Secrets for Getting Your Kid Into the Top Schools, Plume, published 2007, →ISBN, page 272:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
adversities Number=Plur lexicographic

Antonyms

fortuity

Relateds

adversely · adverse

Synonyms

disadventure · unluckiness · bad cess · misluck · misadventure · unfortunateness · adversity · mischance · hard luck · misluck · illfare · bad luck · tough luck · mischance · mishap · nakba · unluck · misfortune · adverseness · ill luck

Translations (83)

pt infortúnio (adverse event) · bg несполука (adverse event) · fa نگونبختی (adverse event) · de widriges Ereignis (adverse event) · ca adversitat (adverse event) · bcl katibaadan (state of being adverse) · enm adversite (state of being adverse) · pl nieszczęście (adverse event) · pt adversidade (state of being adverse) · no motgang (state of being adverse) · az qada (adverse event) · pl niewygoda (state of being adverse) · it avversità (state of being adverse) · hi प्रतिकूलता (state of being adverse) · de widriger Vorfall (adverse event) · ro adversitate (adverse event) · de Widrigkeit (adverse event) · bcl katibaadan (adverse event) · ru несча́стье (state of being adverse) · it avversità (adverse event) · fr malheur (state of being adverse) · mk бе́да (state of being adverse) · fr adversité (state of being adverse) · ota غول (adverse event) · ka უბედურება (state of being adverse) · vi nghịch cảnh (adverse event) · ro adversitate (state of being adverse) · ru бе́дствия (adverse event) · sv motgång (state of being adverse) · bg беда (state of being adverse) · sv elände (state of being adverse) · nl tegenslag (state of being adverse) · uk лихо (state of being adverse) · az dərd (adverse event) · ru беда́ (state of being adverse) · ca adversitat (state of being adverse) · ar مُصِيبَة (adverse event) · ka ჭირი (state of being adverse) · ko 역경 (state of being adverse) · uk біда (state of being adverse) · no motgang (adverse event) · nl ramp (adverse event) · es adversidad (state of being adverse) · es adversidad (adverse event) · cmn 逆境 (state of being adverse) · fi vastoinkäyminen (state of being adverse) · nl tegenspoed (state of being adverse) · pl przeciwność (state of being adverse) · gd ana-cothrom (state of being adverse) · fi vastoinkäyminen (adverse event) · az bəla (adverse event) · el αντιξοότητες (state of being adverse) · sk bieda (adverse event) · ru беда́ (adverse event) · ar بُؤْس (state of being adverse) · ka გასაჭირი (state of being adverse) · nl tegenval (adverse event) · mi poautinitini (adverse event) · bho प्रतिकूलता (state of being adverse) · ru бе́дствие (state of being adverse) · hi प्रतिकूल (adverse event) · de Ungemach (state of being adverse) · pt adversidade (adverse event) · gl adversidade (state of being adverse) · sk bieda (state of being adverse) · bg несполука (state of being adverse) · ja 逆境 (state of being adverse) · pl nieszczęście (state of being adverse) · de Widrigkeit (state of being adverse) · hu szerencsétlenség (state of being adverse) · ar ضَنْك (state of being adverse) · da modgang (adverse event) · az müsibət (adverse event) · ru неприя́тности (adverse event) · mk не́среќа (state of being adverse) · fr adversité (adverse event) · ota فاجعه (adverse event) · uk біда (adverse event) · enm adversite (adverse event) · uk нещастя (state of being adverse) · sv motgång (adverse event) · bg беда (adverse event) · ru несча́стья (adverse event)