ADVERSITY Synonyms: 93 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'adversity' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of adversity are mischance , misfortune , and mishap . While all these words mean "adverse fortune or an instance of this," adversity applies to a state of grave or persistent misfortune. // had never experienced great adversity

Q: When is it sensible to use 'mischance' instead of 'adversity'?

The words mischance and adversity are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mischance applies especially to a situation involving no more than slight inconvenience or minor annoyance. // took the wrong road by mischance

Q: When might 'misfortune' be a better fit than 'adversity'?

The meanings of misfortune and adversity largely overlap; however, misfortune may apply to either the incident or conjunction of events that is the cause of an unhappy change of fortune or to the ensuing state of distress. // never lost hope even in the depths of misfortune

Q: When can 'mishap' be used instead of 'adversity'?

The synonyms mishap and adversity are sometimes interchangeable, but mishap applies to an often trivial instance of bad luck. // the usual mishaps of a family vacation

adversity

noun

ad-ˈvər-sə-tē

Definition of adversity

as in misfortune

bad luck or an example of this many people came face-to-face with life-altering adversity when the stock market crashed

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hardship

something that is a cause for suffering or special effort especially in the attainment of a goal some overcame all the adversities of the Great Depression and rebuilt their fortunes

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How does the noun adversity differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of adversity are mischance, misfortune, and mishap. While all these words mean "adverse fortune or an instance of this," adversity applies to a state of grave or persistent misfortune.

had never experienced great adversity

When is it sensible to use mischance instead of adversity?

The words mischance and adversity are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mischance applies especially to a situation involving no more than slight inconvenience or minor annoyance.

took the wrong road by mischance

When might misfortune be a better fit than adversity?

The meanings of misfortune and adversity largely overlap; however, misfortune may apply to either the incident or conjunction of events that is the cause of an unhappy change of fortune or to the ensuing state of distress.

never lost hope even in the depths of misfortune

When can mishap be used instead of adversity?

The synonyms mishap and adversity are sometimes interchangeable, but mishap applies to an often trivial instance of bad luck.

the usual mishaps of a family vacation

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of adversity More than just medals, parents and coaches from both teams told The Beacon-News these squads have helped young athletes learn to overcome adversity, achieve more academically and create long-lasting friendships. — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026 Building Coping Mechanisms Youth sports have the power to teach perseverance and overcoming adversity in a way kids may not be able to learn elsewhere, especially in our digital age. — Anna Halkidis, Parents, 1 Aug. 2026 Moore, who is widely viewed as a potential 2028 presidential contender, submitted an essay focused on closing the racial wealth gap and Black Americans’ history of economic advancement in the face of adversity. — Matt Brown, Fortune, 30 July 2026 The choice certainly stuck out, as every other couple went with a story focused on grief, personal identity, or overcoming adversity. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for adversity

Recent Examples of Synonyms for adversity

Noun

But the fire this time was started by a son, which led to raging misfortunes that consumed his three brothers one by one, leaving only ashen memories for his surviving sister and aged parents to sift through.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026
He was criticized for outing LGBTQ+ stars who hadn’t revealed their sexuality publicly, and for bullying others by mocking their misfortune.

— Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of misfortune

Noun

Economic hardship is familiar territory for the country’s citizens and, so far, there have been no widespread demonstrations against the regime, which only appears emboldened by the war.

— Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Part of the issue is that as the economic hardships continue, more people are adding to their debt loads by turning to expensive, short-term borrowing options, like credit cards, to fill in the gaps.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of hardship

Noun

At first, its plea to remain somewhere in an old lover’s life can feel like the whole tragedy.

— Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026
Boeing has admitted fault in these tragedies, attributing the cause of the crashes to a flawed Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS).

— Erin Jensen, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of tragedy

Noun

Adults with eating disorders may also have difficulty accessing appropriate support.

— Miranda Roberts, The Conversation, 17 Aug. 2026
Construction in the remote canyon presented difficulties, including limited working space, persistent humidity and fog, and the need for regular checks of the steel structure.

— Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of difficulty

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“Adversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adversity. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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