dilemma

dilemma — 名詞

1. A situation where you must choose between two possible courses of action, and th

1.名詞B2
釋義

兩難

需在兩個選項中做出困難抉擇的情況

A situation where you must choose between two possible courses of action, and the decision is not easy because each option brings both advantages and disadvantages.

例句

After receiving offers from two universities, Ari faced a dilemma about which one to attend.

在收到兩所大學的錄取通知後，Ari 面臨一個關於該去哪一所的兩難抉擇。

face a dilemma about + [noun]

The committee faced a dilemma: new computers or staff training.

委員會面臨兩難：要買新電腦，還是要做員工培訓。

dilemma presented with colon between two options

同義詞
  • quandary

    Focuses more on the mental state of uncertainty than on the choice itself; slightly more formal.

  • predicament

    Emphasizes that the situation is unpleasant or embarrassing; does not always involve a choice.

  • catch-22

    A specific type of dilemma where each option is blocked by a contradictory rule, making all solutions impossible.

反義詞
  • win-win situation

    A scenario where all possible choices lead to positive outcomes — the opposite of a dilemma.

  • no-brainer

    An extremely easy decision where one option is clearly best; informal.

文法句型

dilemma of + [gerund/noun]

dilemma about/over + [noun]

face a dilemma

be (caught) in a dilemma

用法筆記

Frequently appears in the patterns 'the dilemma of whether to + verb' and 'face a dilemma about/over + noun'. The two alternatives are often introduced with 'either...or...' or expressed as a choice between two noun phrases connected by 'or'. For the distinction between dilemma and a mere difficult problem, see common_mistakes below.

常見錯誤

❌I had a dilemma about what to eat for lunch.
✅I could not decide what to eat for lunch.
💡A dilemma involves a significant choice with meaningful consequences, not a trivial daily decision.
❌The company faces a financial dilemma.' (when no clear choice between alternatives is stated).
✅The company faces a difficult financial problem.
💡Dilemma requires two or more specific options to choose between.

2. A situation where every available option is unpleasant or harmful, and you are f

2.名詞B2
釋義

困境

所有選項都不好的艱難處境

A situation where every available option is unpleasant or harmful, and you are forced to pick one — so whatever you decide, you must accept some degree of loss or discomfort.

例句

Hamza faced a moral dilemma: report his friend's cheating or stay quiet and feel dishonest.

Hamza 面臨道德困境：揭發朋友作弊會傷害對方，保持沉默又讓自己覺得不誠實。

moral dilemma + two bad choices presented with colon

The hospital's dilemma was choosing which patients to treat when beds ran out.

醫院的困境是：床位不夠時，必須決定優先治療哪些病人。

dilemma where both options cause harm

同義詞
  • catch-22

    A dilemma made impossible by contradictory rules; more specific and literary.

  • lesser of two evils

    A phrase rather than a single word; describes choosing the less harmful option in a dilemma where both are bad.

  • double bind

    A psychological dilemma where conflicting demands make any response wrong; used in psychology and communication theory.

反義詞
  • choice between equals

    A situation where both options are equally good, making the decision merely a matter of preference.

文法句型

moral/ethical dilemma

dilemma + of having to choose between

be on the horns of a dilemma

用法筆記

This sense carries the strongest implication that all alternatives are equally unfavorable. Common modifier adjectives are 'moral', 'ethical', 'terrible', and 'real'. Distinguish from Sense 1 (HARD CHOICE): in Sense 2, the key is that NOT choosing is also bad — you are forced to accept harm regardless of your decision.

常見錯誤

❌It is a win-win dilemma.
✅It is a win-win situation.
💡A dilemma cannot exist if all outcomes are good.
❌We had no choice at all, so it was a terrible dilemma.
✅We had a terrible dilemma because both options were bad.
💡If there truly is no choice, there is no dilemma; the word describes the difficulty of choosing.