Agency Dictionary
Adversity
nounPronunciation: /ədˈvɜːr.sə.ti/
In Portuguese: Adversidade
Psychology & MindWhat does “Adversity” mean?
A state of severe hardship, difficulty, or misfortune that tests resilience and moral endurance.
Etymology
From Old French adversité, from Latin adversitas, "opposition", from adversus, "turned against", past participle of advertere, formed from ad ("toward") and vertere ("to turn"). The word has been in English since the Middle English period with the sense of misfortune or hardship, the condition of having circumstances turned against one.
Synonyms
- hardship
- misfortune
- difficulty
- affliction
- tribulation
- trouble
Often confused with
- averse
- Adverse describes conditions that work against someone (adverse weather); averse describes a person who dislikes or avoids something (averse to risk).
Word family
- adverse
- adversely
- adversary
- adversarial
Rhymes with
- diversity
- university
- perversity
Concepts
- AdversityAdversity is a state of severe difficulty, hardship, or misfortune encountered along the course of human life. In developmental psychology and philosophy, it serves as an…
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Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
Words of the same theme
- vocationnoun
- A strong innate inclination or sense of purpose toward a particular career, craft, or calling.
- Synchronicitynoun
- The simultaneous occurrence of events that appear meaningfully related yet lack a direct causal connection.
- Resiliencenoun
- The capacity to withstand or recover quickly from difficulties, tough conditions, or shock.
- Stigmanoun
- A mark of social disgrace, shame, or prejudice associated with a particular circumstance, trait, or behavior.
- clevernessnoun
- The mental quality of being quick-witted, agile, and ingenious in solving specific situational problems.
- collective consciousnessnoun
- The set of beliefs, ideas and feelings shared by the members of a society, which exists beyond any single person. By extension, what a community knows and repeats in common.
- Abyssnoun
- A deep or seemingly bottomless chasm, either in physical geography or metaphorical psychological depth. It evokes feelings of unfathomable emptiness or existential peril.
- Affectnoun
- An expressed or experienced emotion, feeling, or visceral response to a stimulus in psychology and philosophy.
- Anesthetizeverb
- To administer an anesthetic to eliminate physical feeling, or figuratively to numb emotional or critical awareness.
- anesthetizedadjective
- Deprived of physical sensation or feeling, often used figuratively to describe dullness or emotional apathy.
- Anesthetizingadjective
- Producing numbness, insensibility, or temporary relief from pain and critical awareness. In media studies, it describes content that pacifies audiences into mindless consumption.
- Arrogancenoun
- An offensive display of superiority, self-importance, or overbearing pride that disparages others and their contributions.
Also from these editions: terms
- Blissnoun
- A state of supreme happiness, utter contentment, or serene, untroubled joy.
- Disciplinenoun
- The practice of training one's mind and habits to adhere to rules, duties, and self-restraint.
- Humbleadjective
- Having or showing a modest, unpretentious estimate of one's own importance and achievements.
- Myopianoun
- A visual condition of nearsightedness, used figuratively for narrow-mindedness and lack of long-term foresight.
- Narcissismnoun
- Excessive self-love, self-admiration, and egocentric preoccupation with one's own desires and social status.
- Objectiveadjective
- Based on factual evidence and observable reality rather than personal feelings, biases, or interpretations.
- Opioidnoun
- A substance that acts on nervous system receptors to numb pain, often used metaphorically for emotional desensitization.
- Seppukunoun
- A ritual suicide practiced by Japanese samurai to preserve honor, fulfill duty, or atone for a severe failing.
- Sincereadjective
- Free from pretense, deceit, or hypocrisy; genuine, honest, and heartfelt in feeling or intent.
- Statuenoun
- A carved or cast three-dimensional sculpture of a person or animal, often used metaphorically for rigidity.
- Fraternitynoun
- A spirit of brotherly solidarity, mutual goodwill, and shared support among individuals or groups.
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