English

Noun

quandary ‎(plural quandaries)

1. A state of not knowing what to decide; a state of difficulty or perplexity; a state of uncertainty, hesitation or puzzlement; a pickle; a predicament.
   • 2013 July 6, “The rise of smart beta”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8843, page 68:

     Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return.

2. A dilemma, a difficult decision or choice.
   • 1995, Robert Frost, Collected Poems, Prose & Plays, page 475

     To quote the oracle of Delphi, / Love thou thy neighbor as thyself, aye, / And hate him as thyself thou hatest. / There quandary is at its greatest.

   • 1995, Douglas N. Walton & Erik C. W. Krabbe, Commitment in Dialogue: Basic Concepts of Interpersonal Reasoning‎, page 54

     But we may suppose that John has set his priorities in such a way that the quandary is spurious.

   • 2000, Carol Ann Strip & Gretchen Hirsch, Helping Gifted Children Soar‎, page 208

     What a difficult quandary for a bright, talented child!

   • 2004, Jennifer Traig, Devil in the Details: Scenes from an Obsessive Girlhood‎, page 181

     Then I would begin contemplating the next quandary: "Does the Torah say it's okay to portray a hooker, and is a heart of gold a mitigating factor?"

Synonyms

• perplexity
• uncertainty

Translations

References

1. ↑ quandary in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
2. ↑ quandary in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

• quandary at OneLook Dictionary Search

See also

• doubt
• indecision
• dilemma