Meaning

3 senses

  1. (historical)A trial in which the accused was subjected to a dangerous test (such as ducking in water), divine authority deciding the guilt of the accused.

    trial by ordeal

    Gottesurteil, Feuerprobe

    суд бо́жийsud bóžij, орда́лииordálii, орда́лияordálija

    суд бо́жийsud bóžyj, орда́ліяordálija

  2. (figuratively)A painful or trying experience.

    Tortur

    суро́вое испыта́ниеsuróvoje ispytánije

    важке́ випро́буванняvažké vypróbuvannja

    a severe or trying experience

  3. The poisonous ordeal bean or Calabar bean.

Examples

33 sentences

  1. Our ordeal isn't over.

    Наші випробування ще не скінчилися.

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  2. Tom slept through the entire ordeal.

    deTom hat die ganze Prozedur über geschlafen.

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  3. Tom told Mary about last night's ordeal.

    ruТом поведал Мэри о тяжёлом испытании, которое выпало на его долю прошлой ночью.

    deTom hat Mary von den Strapazen des gestrigen Abends erzählt.

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  4. Tom has been through quite an ordeal.

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  5. Tom couldn't talk about his ordeal with anyone.

    deTom konnte mit niemandem über sein Martyrium sprechen.

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Translations

9 languages
Українська
By meaning 2
trial in which the accused was subjected to a dangerous test:
a painful or trying experience:
Русский
By meaning 2
trial in which the accused was subjected to a dangerous test:
a painful or trying experience:
Deutsch
By meaning 2
trial in which the accused was subjected to a dangerous test:
a painful or trying experience:

Origin

From Middle English ordel, ordal, from Medieval Latin ordālium or inherited from its sourc

From Middle English ordel, ordal, from Medieval Latin ordālium or inherited from its source Old English ordēl, ordāl (“ordeal, judgement”), from Proto-West Germanic *uʀdailī (“judgement”, literally “an out-dealing”), from *uʀdailijan (“to deal out; dispense”). For more, see Old English or-, English deal.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

plural: ordeals
Singularordeal
Pluralordeals

regular

Synonyms

4 synonyms
tormentC1calvarytribulation
Close in meaning
  • a primitive method of determining a person's guilt or innocence by subjecting the accused person to dangerous or painful tests believed to be under divine control; escape was usually taken as a sign of innocence:trial by ordeal

Word family

3 related words
Derivedordalianordeal beanordeal tree

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
orchestrateorchidB2ordainC2orderA1orderlyB1
ordeal — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto