different between vagary vs adversity

English

Etymology

From Latin vagus (“wandering”).

Pronunciation

• (General American, formerly) IPA^(key): /v?????i/
• (General American, now commonly) IPA^(key): /?ve????i/

Noun

vagary (plural vagaries)

1. An erratic, unpredictable occurrence or action.
   • 1871, Charles Kingsley, At Last: A Christmas In The West Indies, ch. 8:

     It now turns out that the Pitch Lake, like most other things, owes its appearance on the surface to no convulsion or vagary at all, but to a most slow, orderly, and respectable process of nature, by which buried vegetable matter, which would have become peat, and finally brown coal, in a temperate climate, becomes, under the hot tropic soil, asphalt and oil.
2. An impulsive or illogical desire; a caprice or whim.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:whim

   • 1905, Jack London, War of the Classes, Preface:

     And then came the day when my socialism grew respectable,—still a vagary of youth, it was held, but romantically respectable.

Derived terms

• vagarity
• vagarious

Related terms

• vague
• vagrant
• vagabond

Translations

See also

• vaguery

Anagrams

• Varyag

English

Etymology

From Old French adversité, from Latin adversit?tem, the accusative singular of adversit?s, from adversus, the perfect passive participle of advert? (“I turn toward”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /æd?v?.s?.ti/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /æd?v??.s?.ti/
• Hyphenation: ad?ver?si?ty

Noun

adversity (usually uncountable, plural adversities)

1. (uncountable) The state of adverse conditions; state of misfortune or calamity.
2. (countable) An event that is adverse; calamity.

Synonyms

• nakba

Antonyms

• (adverse event): fortuity

Related terms

• adverse
• adversely

Translations