Hardship & Decline — C1 English Vocabulary
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This C1 vocabulary list gathers 60 advanced English words about hardship & decline — struggle, ruin and resilience. Every word comes with its British-English pronunciation and a natural example sentence, so you learn each one in real context. When you are ready, open the flashcards to practise and remember them for good.
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adversity/ədˈvɜː.sɪ.ti/
“She overcame great adversity.”
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tribulation/ˌtrɪb.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/
“They faced years of tribulation.”
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ordeal/ɔːˈdiːl/
“The journey was an ordeal.”
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plight/plaɪt/
“The refugees’ plight moved her.”
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predicament/prɪˈdɪk.ə.mənt/
“He is in a difficult predicament.”
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quandary/ˈkwɒn.dər.i/
“She is in a real quandary.”
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reversal/rɪˈvɜː.səl/
“It was a sudden reversal.”
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demise/dɪˈmaɪz/
“The scandal led to his demise.”
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deterioration/dɪˌtɪə.ri.əˈreɪ.ʃən/
“Her health showed deterioration.”
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degeneration/dɪˌdʒen.əˈreɪ.ʃən/
“Moral degeneration set in.”
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collapse/kəˈlæps/
“The talks ended in collapse.”
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ruin/ˈruː.ɪn/
“The gamble brought him to ruin.”
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devastation/ˌdev.əˈsteɪ.ʃən/
“The flood caused devastation.”
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calamity/kəˈlæm.ɪ.ti/
“The harvest failure was a calamity.”
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cataclysm/ˈkæt.ə.klɪ.zəm/
“It was an economic cataclysm.”
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woe/wəʊ/
“He recounted his tale of woe.”
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suffering/ˈsʌf.ər.ɪŋ/
“The war brought great suffering.”
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torment/ˈtɔː.mənt/
“He lived in torment.”
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wretched/ˈretʃ.ɪd/
“They lived in wretched poverty.”
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impoverished/ɪmˈpɒv.ər.ɪʃt/
“The war left them impoverished.”
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beleaguered/bɪˈliː.ɡəd/
“The beleaguered firm laid off staff.”
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embattled/ɪmˈbæt.əld/
“The embattled leader resigned.”
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tenuous/ˈten.ju.əs/
“His grip on power is tenuous.”
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dire/daɪə/
“The situation is dire.”
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grim/ɡrɪm/
“The outlook is grim.”
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bleak/bliːk/
“The future looked bleak.”
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dismal/ˈdɪz.məl/
“Sales were dismal.”
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harrowing/ˈhær.əʊ.ɪŋ/
“It was a harrowing experience.”
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gruelling/ˈɡruː.əl.ɪŋ/
“It was a gruelling march.”
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arduous/ˈɑː.dju.əs/
“The climb was arduous.”
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relentless/rɪˈlent.ləs/
“The pressure was relentless.”
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unrelenting/ˌʌn.rɪˈlen.tɪŋ/
“She faced unrelenting criticism.”
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insurmountable/ˌɪn.səˈmaʊn.tə.bəl/
“The odds seemed insurmountable.”
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crippling/ˈkrɪp.lɪŋ/
“They have crippling debts.”
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debilitate/dɪˈbɪl.ɪ.teɪt/
“Illness can debilitate the body.”
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flounder/ˈflaʊn.də/
“The business began to flounder.”
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languish/ˈlæŋ.ɡwɪʃ/
“Prisoners can languish for years.”
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wither/ˈwɪð.ə/
“Support began to wither.”
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crumble/ˈkrʌm.bəl/
“The empire began to crumble.”
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disintegrate/dɪsˈɪn.tɪ.ɡreɪt/
“Such coalitions often disintegrate.”
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capsize/kæpˈsaɪz/
“The boat began to capsize.”
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founder/ˈfaʊn.də/
“Such talks can founder on cost.”
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stumbling block/ˈstʌm.blɪŋ ˌblɒk/
“Cost is the main stumbling block.”
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want/wɒnt/
“Many families live in want.”
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travail/ˈtræv.eɪl/
“After much travail, they succeeded.”
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endurance/ɪnˈdjʊə.rəns/
“The race tests your endurance.”
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withstand/wɪðˈstænd/
“They withstand great hardship.”
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endure/ɪnˈdjʊə/
“She had to endure the pain.”
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weather/ˈweð.ə/
“Strong firms weather the storm.”
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nosedive/ˈnəʊz.daɪv/
“Profits took a nosedive.”
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slump/slʌmp/
“The market is in a slump.”
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malaise/məˈleɪz/
“A deep malaise gripped the firm.”
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atrophy/ˈæt.rə.fi/
“Unused muscles atrophy.”
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downcast/ˈdaʊn.kɑːst/
“He looked downcast.”
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lamentable/ˈlæm.ən.tə.bəl/
“It was a lamentable failure.”
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privation/praɪˈveɪ.ʃən/
“They endured great privation.”
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comeuppance/ˌkʌmˈʌp.əns/
“He finally got his comeuppance.”
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downward spiral/ˌdaʊn.wəd ˈspaɪ.rəl/
“Debt sent him into a downward spiral.”
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uphill/ˌʌpˈhɪl/
“It was an uphill struggle.”
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stoicism/ˈstəʊ.ɪ.sɪ.zəm/
“He bore it with stoicism.”