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Enigma vs Quandary - What's the difference?

enigma | quandary |

Quandary is a synonym of enigma.



As nouns the difference between enigma and quandary

is that enigma is something or someone puzzling, mysterious or inexplicable while quandary is a state of not knowing what to decide; a state of difficulty or perplexity; a state of uncertainty, hesitation or puzzlement; a pickle; a predicament.

As a proper noun Enigma

is a German device used during World War II to encode strategic messages.

enigma

English

(wikipedia enigma)

Alternative forms

* (chiefly archaic)

Noun

(en-noun)enigma'” listed by ' Dictionary.com Unabridged (v1·1)
  • Something or someone puzzling, mysterious or inexplicable.
  • A riddle, or a difficult problem.
  • References

    Anagrams

    * ----

    quandary

    English

    Noun

    (quandaries)
  • A state of not knowing what to decide; a state of difficulty or perplexity; a state of uncertainty, hesitation or puzzlement; a pickle; a predicament.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-06, volume=408, issue=8843, page=68, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= The rise of smart beta , passage=Investors face a quandary . Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return.}}
  • A dilemma, a difficult decision or choice.
  • * 1995 , Robert Frost, Collected Poems, Prose & Plays , page 475
  • To quote the oracle of Delphi, / Love thou thy neighbor as thyself, aye, / And hate him as thyself thou hatest. / There quandary is at its greatest.
  • * 1995 , Douglas N. Walton & Erik C. W. Krabbe, Commitment in Dialogue: Basic Concepts of Interpersonal Reasoning? , page 54
  • But we may suppose that John has set his priorities in such a way that the quandary is spurious.
  • * 2000 , Carol Ann Strip & Gretchen Hirsch, Helping Gifted Children Soar ?, page 208
  • What a difficult quandary for a bright, talented child!
  • * 2004 , Jennifer Traig, Devil in the Details: Scenes from an Obsessive Girlhood? , page 181
  • Then I would begin contemplating the next quandary : "Does the Torah say it's okay to portray a hooker, and is a heart of gold a mitigating factor?"

    Synonyms

    * perplexity * uncertainty

    References

    *

    See also

    * doubt * indecision * dilemma