different between quandary vs problem

English

Etymology

16th century. Origin unknown; perhaps a dialectal corruption (simulating a word of Latin origin with suffix -ary) of wandreth (“evil, plight, peril, adversity, difficulty”), from Middle English wandreth, from Old Norse vandræði (“difficulty, trouble”), from vandr (“difficult, requiring pains and care”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?kw?n.d?.?i/, /?kw?n.d?i/
• (Received Pronunciation, dated) IPA^(key): /kw?n?d??.??/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?kw?n.d?.?i/, /?kw?n.d?i/, /?kw?n-/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /?kw?n.d?.?i/, /?kw?n.d?i/
• Hyphenation: quan?da?ry, quand?ary

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.

   Synonyms: perplexity, pickle, predicament, uncertainty
2. A dilemma, a difficult decision or choice.

   Synonyms: dilemma; see also Thesaurus:dilemma

   • 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?"

Translations

See also

• doubt
• indecision
• dilemma

Further reading

• quandary at OneLook Dictionary Search

References

English

Alternative forms

• probleme (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English probleme, from Middle French probleme, from Latin problema, from Ancient Greek ???????? (próbl?ma, “anything thrown forward, hindrance, obstacle, anything projecting, a headland, promontory”), from ???????? (probáll?, “to throw or lay something in front of someone, to put forward”), from ???- (pro-, “in front of”) + ????? (báll?, “to throw, to cast, to hurl”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?p??bl?m/
• (dated, Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?p??bl?m/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?p??bl?m/
• Hyphenation: prob?lem

Noun

problem (plural problems)

1. A difficulty that has to be resolved or dealt with.

   • “ […] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons?! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”
2. A question to be answered, schoolwork exercise.

3. A puzzling circumstance.
4. Objection.

5. (climbing) A set of moves required to complete a climb

Antonyms

• solution

Hyponyms

• Entscheidungsproblem

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

problem (comparative more problem, superlative most problem)

1. (of a person or an animal) Difficult to train or guide; unruly.
2. Causing a problem; problematic; troublesome.

See also

• trouble

Further reading

• problem in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• problem in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• problem at OneLook Dictionary Search

Azerbaijani

Etymology

Ultimately from Ancient Greek ???????? (próbl?ma).

Noun

problem (definite accusative problemi, plural probleml?r)

1. problem

Declension

Danish

Noun

problem n (singular definite problemet, plural indefinite problemer)

1. problem

Declension

Derived terms

References

• “problem” in Den Danske Ordbog
• “problem” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog

Indonesian

Etymology

From Dutch probleem, from Latin probl?ma, from Ancient Greek ???????? (próbl?ma).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?problem]
• Hyphenation: pro?blém

Noun

problem (first-person possessive problemku, second-person possessive problemmu, third-person possessive problemnya)

1. problem.

   Synonyms: masalah, perkara, persoalan

Related terms

Further reading

• “problem” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI) Daring, Jakarta: Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa, Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia, 2016.

Middle English

Noun

problem

1. Alternative form of probleme

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

problem n (definite singular problemet, indefinite plural problem or problemer, definite plural problema or problemene)

1. problem

Derived terms

References

• “problem” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pr??ble?m/

Noun

problem n (definite singular problemet, indefinite plural problem, definite plural problema)

1. problem

Derived terms

References

• “problem” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Polish

Etymology

From French problème, from Middle French probleme, from Latin probl?ma, from Ancient Greek ???????? (próbl?ma, “obstacle”), from ???????? (probáll?, “to throw or lay something in front of someone, to put forward”), from ???- (pro-, “in front of”) + ????? (báll?, “to throw, to cast, to hurl”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?pr?b.l?m/

Noun

problem m inan

1. problem

Declension

Further reading

• problem in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pr?ble?m/

Noun

pròbl?m m (Cyrillic spelling ?????????)

1. problem

Declension

Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pr??ble?m/, /pr?-/, /-?bl??m/
• Hyphenation: pro?blem

Noun

problem n

1. problem; difficulty
2. problem; schoolwork exercise

Declension

Synonyms

• fråga
• komplikation
• kris
• spörsmål
• tal
• uppgift

Related terms

References

• problem in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)

Anagrams

• plomber

Vilamovian

Pronunciation

Noun

problem n

1. problem

Welsh

Etymology

English problem, ultimately from Ancient Greek ???????? (próbl?ma).

Pronunciation

• (North Wales, standard, colloquial) IPA^(key): /?pr?bl?m/
  • (North Wales, colloquial) IPA^(key): /?pr?blam/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /?pr?bl?m/

Noun

problem f (plural problemau)

1. problem

Mutation

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present) , “problem”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies