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Dilemma vs Struggle - What's the difference?

dilemma | struggle |

As nouns the difference between dilemma and struggle

is that dilemma is a circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable while struggle is strife, contention, great effort.

As a verb struggle is

to strive, to labour in difficulty, to fight (for or against), to contend.

dilemma

English

Noun

(en-noun)
  • A circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable.
  • * Jonathan Swift
    • A strong dilemma in a desperate case! / To act with infamy, or quit the place.
  • A difficult circumstance or problem.
  • (logic) A type of syllogism of the form "if A is true then B is true; if C is true then D is true; either A or C is true; therefore either B or D is true".
  • (rhetoric) Offering to an opponent a choice between two (equally unfavorable) alternatives.

    • Usage notes

    * The sense of a difficult circumstance or problem is considered non-standard[by whom?]. * Occasionally spelled/misspelled as dilemna'', perhaps originally via false analogy with words such as ''condemn'', ''solemn'', and ''hymn . This spelling has been reportedly taught in many regions of Great Britain and the United States as well as around the world; and can be found in the works of many well-known authors (e.g. Watts, Defroe & Goldsmith). World Wide Words: Dilemma

    Synonyms

    * (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) * (any difficult circumstance) bind, fix, pickle, problem, quandary * (logic) * (rhetoric) * See also

    Derived terms

    * on the horns of a dilemma

    Related terms

    * lemma * trilemma * tetralemma * pentalemma

    See also

    * * between a rock and a hard place * between the devil and the deep blue sea * between Scylla and Charybdis * Buridan's ass

    References

    *

    Anagrams

    * ----

    struggle

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (l), (l) (obsolete)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Strife, contention, great effort.
  • *, chapter=23
    • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=The struggle with ways and means had recommenced, more difficult now a hundredfold than it had been before, because of their increasing needs. Their income disappeared as a little rivulet that is swallowed by the thirsty ground. He worked night and day to supplement it.}}

    Verb

    (struggl)
  • To strive, to labour in difficulty, to fight (for'' or ''against ), to contend.
  • :
  • *{{quote-news, year=2011, date=October 1, author=Tom Fordyce, work=BBC Sport
    • , title= Rugby World Cup 2011: England 16-12 Scotland , passage=England were ponderous with ball in hand, their runners static when taking the ball and their lines obvious, while their front row struggled badly in the scrum.}}
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-28, author=(Joris Luyendijk)
    • , volume=189, issue=3, page=21, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Our banks are out of control , passage=Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic who still resists the idea that something drastic needs to happen for him to turn his life around.}}
  • To strive, or to make efforts, with a twisting, or with contortions of the body.
  • :
  • *
  • *:Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out. Indeed, a nail filed sharp is not of much avail as an arrowhead; you must have it barbed, and that was a little beyond our skill.

    • Usage notes

    * This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . See