adversity

adversity — noun

1. a hard situation, or a period of bad luck and trouble, that tests how well someo

1.nounC1
Definition

a hard situation, or a period of bad luck and trouble, that tests how well someone can keep going.

Example

After losing both crops, the farming family faced adversity with quiet courage.

collocation: face adversity

Years of childhood adversity made Lena careful with money and quick to worry.

modifier: childhood adversity

Common collocations
  • face adversity
  • overcome adversity
  • childhood adversity
  • economic adversity
  • in the face of adversity
Synonyms
  • hardship

    often stresses lack of money, comfort, or basic needs more directly

  • difficulty

    broader and weaker; can describe small problems as well as serious ones

  • misfortune

    focuses more on bad luck or an unlucky event than on the long struggle

  • trial

    often literary; suggests an experience that tests character

Antonyms
  • prosperity

    a condition of success, comfort, or growing wealth

  • good fortune

    emphasizes luck going well rather than life being hard

  • ease

    suggests life is comfortable and free from strain

Grammar Patterns

face adversity

overcome adversity

in the face of adversity

Usage Note

Usually uncountable and more common in formal or written English than in everyday conversation. Often appears with verbs such as 'face', 'overcome', and 'suffer', and in the phrase 'in the face of adversity'. For smaller everyday problems, words like 'difficulty', 'trouble', or 'setback' are more natural.

Common Mistakes

We faced adversity because the bus was late.
We had a problem because the bus was late.
'adversity' is for serious hardship, not small daily trouble.
She had an adversity after missing one class.
She had a setback after missing one class.
'adversity' is usually uncountable and refers to a more serious situation.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Adversity' is a formal word for serious trouble or bad luck that tests a person's strength over time. 'Hardship' is often more concrete and commonly points to poverty, hunger, discomfort, or unsafe living conditions. 'Difficulty' is much broader and weaker, so it can describe anything from homework problems to major life trouble. 'Misfortune' focuses on bad luck or an unfortunate event, not always on the long process of coping with it. 'Struggle' highlights the effort to deal with the problem rather than the bad situation itself. You can say, 'The family faced adversity after the flood,' but 'I had difficulty opening the jar' is far too small for 'adversity.'

adversity ↗hardship ↗difficulty ↗misfortune ↗struggle ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • childhood adversity
  • economic adversity
  • personal adversity

Phrases

  • face adversity
  • overcome adversity
  • respond to adversity
  • show courage in adversity

Prepositions

  • in adversity
  • through adversity
  • during adversity
  • in the face of adversity

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

This word came into English through French from Latin 'adversitas'. It is related to the Latin idea of something being turned against you or standing in your way, which helps explain why 'adversity' means hard times or bad luck working against a person.