WordLens

vicissitude

1 of 1noun
/vɪˈsɪsɪtud/
1

the inherent tendency of life or nature to change, often through a cycle of alternating conditions such as prosperity and hardship, growth and decay, or joy and sorrow

  • The vicissitudes of the seasons shaped the rhythm of village life.
  • Ancient philosophers pondered the vicissitudes of human existence.
  • The novel explores the vicissitudes of love and loss across generations.
  • History is marked by the vicissitudes of empires rising and falling.
  • She accepted the vicissitudes of fate with quiet resilience.
2

a change, often unexpected, in one's situation or fortune

  • He endured the vicissitudes of a career in politics.
  • Their friendship survived the vicissitudes of time and distance.
  • The company weathered the vicissitudes of the market with strategic foresight.
  • Her memoir recounts the vicissitudes of growing up in a war-torn country.
  • The artist's life was full of vicissitudes, from fame to obscurity.