What does quandary mean?
Word: Quandary
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Quandary means a state of not knowing what to do because a decision is hard to make.
Synonyms: predicament, fix, puzzle
Word origin: Origin uncertain; perhaps partly from the Latin word quando.
How do you spell quandary?
Syllables: quan - da - ry
Tricky part: Fast speech squeezes the middle vowel almost out of the word, so students drop it or put e there.
Watch out for: quandry, quandery
Memory tip: Every quandary is a choice between A and B. Keep hold of that A: it sits straight after the d.
Quandary in a sentence
Example 1: Should she join the debate team or the choir? Riya was in a quandary all week.
Example 2: The referee's strange decision left both captains in a quandary.
Example 3: Faced with two trains and one ticket, the tourists found themselves in a quandary.
Fun Fact
The word has been in English since the late 1500s, yet dictionaries still cannot say for certain where it came from.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) sanctuary
b) dromedary
c) tributary
d) quandarry
Show answer
d) quandarry. One r is correct, just as in tributary and sanctuary.
Sound Check
In which word is 'qua' pronounced differently?
a) quandary
b) quality
c) quaint
d) quarrel
Show answer
c) quaint. Quaint has the ay vowel of paint; the other three have the short o sound of what.
Jumble Tumble
Choose the correct sequence of the jumbled letters to form a meaningful word:
yanqdrua 12345678
a) 47235861
b) 87235641
c) 37425861
d) 57243861
Show answer
a) 47235861. Read in this order, the eight letters give quandary.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with their synonyms:
1. quandary 2. fiasco 3. zenith a. dilemma b. peak c. disaster
a) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
c) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
Show answer
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b. A dilemma leaves you unsure, a fiasco is a complete disaster, and the zenith of a career is its peak.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. You would be in a real quandary if ___.
a) a bus arrived ten minutes before time
b) two good schools both offered you a place
c) a holiday fell at the end of a week
d) a friend brought sweets on her birthday
Show answer
b) two good schools both offered you a place
2. What is the most sensible first step for someone facing a quandary?
a) waiting until everyone has forgotten it
b) asking a stranger to choose at random
c) listing the good and bad of each choice
d) picking whichever option is the costliest
Show answer
c) listing the good and bad of each choice
