Pronunciation: /dɪˈlɛmə/

Definitions of dilemma

noun a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or more alternatives, especially equally undesirable ones

Example Sentences

A1 I have a dilemma - should I wear the red dress or the blue one?

A2 She faced a dilemma when she had to choose between studying for her exam or going to her friend's party.

B1 The company is in a dilemma about whether to expand internationally or focus on the domestic market.

B2 The team found themselves in a dilemma when they had to decide between two equally promising investment opportunities.

C1 The politician's dilemma was whether to stick to his principles or compromise for the sake of gaining more votes.

C2 The CEO was faced with a moral dilemma when he discovered that one of his top executives was involved in illegal activities.

Examples of dilemma in a Sentence

formal The board members faced a dilemma when deciding on whether to invest in the new project or not.

informal I'm in a real dilemma about which college to choose.

slang I'm totally stuck in a dilemma between going out with my friends or studying for the exam.

figurative She found herself in a dilemma, torn between following her heart and listening to her mind.

Grammatical Forms of dilemma

plural

dilemmas

comparative

more dilemma

superlative

most dilemma

present tense

dilemma

future tense

will dilemma

perfect tense

have dilemma

continuous tense

is dilemma

singular

dilemma

positive degree

dilemma

infinitive

to dilemma

gerund

dilemming

participle

dilemmaing

Origin and Evolution of dilemma

First Known Use: 1523 year
Language of Origin: Greek
Story behind the word: The word 'dilemma' originated from the Greek word 'dilemma', which is derived from 'di-' (two) and 'lemma' (premise).
Evolution of the word: Originally used in rhetoric to describe a situation where a person is forced to choose between two equally undesirable options, the word 'dilemma' has evolved to encompass any difficult or perplexing situation with no easy solution.