Nuances in meanings: paradox , conundrum, dilemma , plight [closed]
What are the subtle differences in meanings between the following words?
- Paradox
- Conundrum
- Dilemma
- Plight
Some of these words have multiple meanings, but I am pointing the specific meaning which is in political/social or economic context as mentioned by you. (This answer took me so much time to write, hope it helps)
Paradox (noun) means a situation or statement that seems impossible or is difficult to understand because it contains two opposite facts or characteristics.
For example:
It's a paradox that drinking too much water makes you feel thirsty.
It's a paradox that our government talks about secularism and still favours a particular religion.
Conundrum (noun) is a problem or puzzle which is difficult or impossible to solve.
For example:
We tried to empower women in the region, but they opposed us saying 'they don't want to go against their husbands.' What a conundrum!
Dilemma (noun) is a difficult situation in which you have to choose between two or more almost similarly difficult alternatives.
For example:
I was trapped between a dry well and a high end cliff, there's no place to go instead of the two. God, what a dilemma!
Our government is facing a dilemma of either being secularist or nationalist.
Plight (noun) is an unpleasant condition, especially a serious, sad, or difficult one.
For example:
My problems don't carry any significance with the plight of the storm victims.
Hope, it helped :) Oof, I am tired now.
Paradox
- Used to describe two or more irreconcilable truths. In common speech, a paradox can be used to describe a situation with conflicting qualities.
- E.g. "Paradoxically, Senator So-and-So's approval rating among Democrats rose sharply after she officially left the party."
Conundrum
- Used to describe a difficult problem, in particular a confusing problem.
- E.g. "President So-and-So faced the conundrum of how to stem the flow of a drug that nobody had even named yet."
Dilemma
- The meaning of dilemma is similar to that of conundrum, and there are instances where the two could be used interchangeably. A differentiating factor is that a dilemma usually refers to an especially difficult problem, regardless of whether the issue is confusing or complicated. Often there is no "good" solution to a dilemma.
- E.g. "Mayor So-and-So addressed the dilemma of funding fire prevention in a community where the tax revenue had plummeted because of fire damage in the industrial area."
Plight
- Plight refers to a person or thing's misfortune. A challenging or dangerous situation can be described as a plight, and the word is often used to describe the symptoms of a problem, rather than the problem on its face.
- E.g. "Governor So-and-So's bill to add more teachers to inner-city schools aims to address the plight of underserved urban students."