What is the difference between predicament and dilemma

Arabic English US Near fluent. English US. Spanish Mexico. Question about English US. What is the difference between predicament and quandary and dilemma? Feel free to just provide example sentences. Report copyright infringement. The owner of it will not be notified. Only the user who asked this question will see who disagreed with this answer.

Read more comments. In a way, the roots of this predicament reach back hundreds of years. Pickwick, as he dressed himself next morning. Finally, his predicament became so awkward that an expression of distress crept into his face. Of course, the smoke-signals, passed along by Dangerfield's chain of guards, were responsible for Matt's predicament. Jogging on over the sand, I sat silent, cudgelling my brains for a solution of the disastrous predicament I had gotten into.

I went to the Junior, told him my predicament , and he kindly offered to wait for his debt, though the note was overdue. New Word List Word List. Save This Word! We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Origin of predicament First recorded in —; —90 for def. Predicament , dilemma , quandary , plight , scrape , fix , jam , pickle can all denote a situation from which one does or can extricate himself only with difficulty.

Predicament carries the implication that the situation constitutes a problem for those who are involved in it and may additionally imply lack of freedom to do what one wishes or finds essential for some reason, or it may imply deep perplexity as to ways out of the situation.

Dilemma applies to a situation which constitutes a predicament from which one can escape only by a choice of equally unpleasant or unsatisfactory alternatives.