Definition of "quandary"

As a Hitchin signalman once pointed out to me, when a regulating quandary arises concerning a fast-moving Class A train there is no time to consult Control and get their answer before the express is on one's doorstep.

1962 May, G. Freeman Allen, “Traffic control on the Great Northern Line”, in Modern Railways, page 343

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.

2013 July 6, “The rise of smart beta”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8843, page 68

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, Robert Frost, Collected Poems, Prose & Plays, page 475

But we may suppose that John has set his priorities in such a way that the quandary is spurious.

1995, Douglas N. Walton, Erik C. W. Krabbe, Commitment in Dialogue: Basic Concepts of Interpersonal Reasoning, page 54

What a difficult quandary for a bright, talented child!

2000, Carol Ann Strip, Gretchen Hirsch, Helping Gifted Children Soar, page 208

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?"

2004, Jennifer Traig, Devil in the Details: Scenes from an Obsessive Girlhood, page 181

The film explores Oppenheimer’s moral quandary over his role in creating the most destructive weapon ever made, but nuclear disarmament campaigners fear its power to persuade people of the existential threat posed by nuclear arms may be diminished by its focus on scientific achievement.

2023 July 21, Rachel Hall, “Anti-nuclear groups welcome Oppenheimer film but say it fails to depict true horror”, in The Guardian‎