dilemma
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a situation where you have to choose between two or more things, but none of them are good.
a state of uncertainty or perplexity in which a choice must be made between two or more equally undesirable alternatives.
Simple“He faced a difficult dilemma: stay in a job he hated or quit and have no money.”
In context“The ethical dilemma of whether to report a colleague's minor mistake or maintain professional loyalty weighed heavily on the manager's mind.”
UsageCommonly used with the verbs 'face', 'pose', or 'resolve'.
Teacher's tipStrictly speaking, a dilemma involves exactly two choices (from the Greek 'di-'), but in modern English, it is commonly used for any number of difficult options.
PitfallI am in a dilemma between the two jobs. I face a dilemma regarding the two jobs.While you can be 'in a dilemma', the word describes the situation itself, not the act of choosing between things. Use 'face a dilemma' or 'the dilemma of' for better flow.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a difficult problem that is hard to solve.
any difficult or persistent problem; often used loosely to describe a general predicament rather than a specific choice.
Simple“The city's traffic dilemma has only gotten worse over the last few years.”
In context“The ongoing housing dilemma in urban centres requires a multifaceted approach that addresses both supply and affordability.”
Teacher's tipPurists may dislike this 'loose' use of the word, but it is very common in journalism and daily speech.
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
a type of formal argument in logic where two different paths lead to the same result.
a form of syllogism in which the major premise consists of two conditional propositions and the minor premise is a disjunctive proposition.
Simple“The professor used a logical dilemma to prove that both theories led to the same conclusion.”
In context“In formal logic, a constructive dilemma allows one to infer the truth of a disjunction from the premises provided.”
Usage ethical dilemma · pose dilemma · present dilemma
“Now their country, which is below sea level, finds itself, in an era of global warming, facing a dilemma: How to retain water while protecting themselves from it?”
“This dilemma is made more difficult by the fact that we experience and respond to certain kinds of moral threats more strongly than others.”
PIE word *dwóh₁ First attested 1523, from Late Latin dilemma, from Ancient Greek δίλημμα (dílēmma, “ambiguous proposition”), from δι- (di-, “having two of”) + λῆμμα (lêmma, “premise, proposition”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.