noun
ADJECTIVE
▪ general , overall , whole
▪ current , immediate , present
▪ international , local , national , world
▪ actual , concrete , real , real-life , real-world ( esp. AmE )
▪ hypothetical , unlikely
▪ favourable/favorable , happy ( esp. BrE ), healthy , ideal
▪ satisfactory ( esp. BrE ), stable
▪ chaotic , explosive , fluid , precarious , unstable , volatile
▪ awkward , delicate , difficult , embarrassing , problematic , sticky ( informal ), stressful , tense , tough ( esp. AmE ), tricky , uncomfortable , unfortunate , unpleasant
▪
I always seem to get into sticky ~s.
▪ dangerous , hazardous , life-threatening , perilous , risky , vulnerable
▪ deteriorating , worsening
▪ crisis , emergency , life-and-death , life-or-death
▪ high-pressure , pressure
▪
I've been in some pressure ~s when I had to hit a great shot or lose the game.
▪ alarming , critical , desperate , dire , grave , serious , terrible , tragic , unhappy ( esp. BrE )
▪ disgraceful ( esp. BrE ), intolerable , untenable
▪ catch-22 ( esp. BrE ), hopeless , no-win
▪
We were placed in a hopeless ~.
▪ lose-lose , win-win
▪ absurd , bizarre , compromising , extraordinary , ludicrous ( esp. BrE ), novel , odd , paradoxical , ridiculous , strange , unique , unusual
▪ complex , complicated
▪ simple
▪ social
▪
Do you feel awkward in social ~s?
▪ work
▪ domestic
▪ employment , housing
▪ economic , financial , legal , military , political , security
▪
the international political ~
▪ strategic , tactical
▪ combat , conflict , war
▪ hostage
VERB + SITUATION
▪ bring about , create , lead to , result in
▪ be faced with , be placed in , encounter , face , find yourself in , get into
▪
I found myself in rather an awkward ~.
▪ avoid
▪ comprehend , grasp , take in , understand
▪
She found it difficult to take in the ~.
▪ analyse/analyze , appraise , assess , consider , discuss , evaluate , examine , judge , look at , monitor , ponder , review , size up , survey , take stock of , think about , weigh ( esp. AmE ), weigh up ( esp. BrE )
▪ clarify , describe , explain , outline , sum up
▪ accept
▪ address , be in control of , control , cope with , deal with , handle , respond to , take control of
▪
learning strategies to cope with difficult ~s
▪ fit
▪
You can adapt your knowledge to fit your particular ~.
▪ ameliorate ( formal ), calm , defuse , ease , help , improve
▪ correct , rectify , remedy , resolve , stabilize
▪
The peacekeepers are trained to defuse potentially explosive ~s.
▪ salvage
▪
She tried her best to salvage the ~.
▪ exploit , manipulate , take advantage of
▪
He saw she was confused and he took full advantage of the ~.
▪ lose control of
▪ affect , change , influence , transform
▪ aggravate , complicate , compound , exacerbate , inflame ( esp. BrE ), worsen
▪
Interfering now would only exacerbate the ~.
▪ reverse
▪
What would the Republicans be doing if the ~ were reversed?
SITUATION + VERB
▪ arise , develop , occur , unfold
▪
We will deal with that if the ~ arises.
▪ exist
▪ continue , remain
▪ change
▪ deteriorate , escalate , worsen
▪
The ~ is deteriorating rapidly.
▪ improve
▪ stabilize
▪ demand , require
▪
The ~ requires immediate action.
SITUATION + NOUN
▪ comedy (usually sitcom )
▪
TV's first modern ~ comedy
PREPOSITION
▪ in a/the ~
▪
What would you do in this ~?
PHRASES
▪ the gravity of the ~ , the seriousness of the ~
▪
Given the gravity of the ~, I'm not surprised she's panicking.
▪ the reality of the ~
▪
She was forced to confront the reality of the ~.
▪ a way out of the ~
▪
I was in trouble and I could see no way out of the ~.