Definition
A state of confusion or uncertainty about what to do; a difficult situation where the answer isn't clear.
Etymology
Origin uncertain, possibly from Latin 'quando' (when) or 'quandoquidem' (whereas); appeared in English in the 1600s with unclear etymology, making it appropriately mysterious.
Kelly Says
Even etymologists can't agree on where 'quandary' came from—it's a word so mysterious that linguists are themselves in a quandary about its own origins, which is kind of poetic.
Translations
AFAfrikaans
dilemma
di-LEM-ma
BGБългарски
дилема
di-LE-ma
CSČeština
dilema
di-LE-ma
DADansk
dilemma
di-LEM-ma
DEDeutsch
Zwickmühle
TSVIK-mue-le
ELΕλληνικά
δίλημμα
DEE-leem-ma
ESEspañol
dilema
di-LE-ma
ETEesti
dilemma
di-LEM-ma
EUEuskara
dilema
di-LE-ma
FISuomi
dilemma
di-LEM-ma
FRFrançais
dilemme
di-LEM
HIहिन्दी
दुविधा
du-vi-DHA
HRHrvatski
dilema
di-LE-ma
HUMagyar
dilemma
di-LEM-ma
IDBahasa Indonesia
dilema
di-LE-ma
ITItaliano
dilemma
di-LEM-ma
LTLietuvių
dilema
di-LE-ma
LVLatviešu
dilemma
di-LEM-ma
MNМонгол
хүндрэл
khuun-drel
MSBahasa Melayu
dilema
di-LE-ma
MYမြန်မာ
အကျပ်ရိုက်မှု
a-kyat-yite-hmu
NLNederlands
dilemma
di-LEM-ma
NONorsk
dilemma
di-LEM-ma
PLPolski
dylemat
dy-LE-mat
PTPortuguês
dilema
di-LE-ma
RUРусский
затруднение
za-trud-NYE-niye
SKSlovenčina
dilema
di-LE-ma
SLSlovenščina
dilema
di-LE-ma
SVSvenska
dilemma
di-LEM-ma
SWKiswahili
taabu
ta-A-bu
TAதமிழ்
இரட்டுற மனப்பான்மை
i-ra-tu-ra ma-na-paan-mai
TEతెలుగు
అయోమయం
a-yo-ma-yam
THไทย
สถานการณ์ลำบาก
sa-tha-na-gan lam-baak
UKУкраїнська
затруднення
za-trud-NYE-nya
VITiếng Việt
tình thế khó xử
tinh the kho xu