What does Ordeal mean?

Definitions for Ordeal
ɔrˈdil, -ˈdi əl, ˈɔr dilor·deal

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Ordeal.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. ordealnoun

    a severe or trying experience

  2. ordeal, trial by ordealnoun

    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

Wiktionary

  1. ordealnoun

    a painful or trying experience

  2. ordealnoun

    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

  3. Etymology: From *, ordal, from ordel, ordal, from uzdailaz, equivalent to. Cognate with oardiel, oordeel, Urteil.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. ORDEALnoun

    A trial by fire or water, by which the person accused appealed to heaven, by walking blindfold over hot bars of iron; or being thrown, I suppose, into the water; whence the vulgar trial of witches.

    Etymology: ordal , Sax. ordalium, low Lat. ordalie, Fr.

    Their ordeal laws they used in doubtful cases, when clear proofs wanted. George Hakewill, on Providence.

    In the time of king John, the purgation per ignem et aquam, or the trial by ordeal continued; but it ended with this king. Matthew Hale.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Ordeal

    or′de-al, n. a dealing out or giving of just judgment: an ancient form of referring a disputed question to the judgment of God, by lot, fire, water, &c.: any severe trial or examination. [A.S. or-dél, or-dál; cf. Dut. oor-deel, Ger. ur-theil.]

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

  1. Ordeal

    a test by fire, water, poison, wager of battle, or the like, of the innocence or guilt of persons in appeal thereby to the judgment of God in default of other evidence, on the superstitious belief that by means of it God would interfere to acquit the innocent and condemn the guilty, a test very often had recourse to among savage or half-civilised nations.

Matched Categories

Anagrams for Ordeal »

  1. reload

  2. Laredo

  3. loader

How to pronounce Ordeal?

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of Ordeal in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of Ordeal in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of Ordeal in a Sentence

  1. Evan Budd:

    Being prepared for the unexpected is critical in the Alaskan outdoors. What you plan as a day hike can quickly turn into a multiday ordeal, mrs. Kiefer also carried with her an amazing amount of grit and determination to return to her family. We were so relieved to learn that she was safe.

  2. Eric Greitens:

    This ordeal has been designed to cause an incredible amount of strain on my family, millions of dollars of mounting legal bills, endless personal attacks designed to cause maximum damage to family and friends. Legal harassment of colleagues, friends and campaign workers and it's clear that for the forces that oppose us, there is no end in sight. I can not allow those forces to continue to cause pain and difficulty to the people that I love.

  3. Aquilino Gonell:

    I bled, I sweat and I fought to prevent those people coming in through that entrance, we got pushed back all the way to the magnetometer by the second door. And just to regain that space took us about another hour. We literally were fighting inch by inch. And to move one step, that was a 10-minute, 15-minute ordeal.

  4. Professor Thomas:

    In Samoa, men have elaborate tattoos inked on their thighs, buttocks and lower chest, it is a painful ordeal that requires a man to submit to the authority of the elders. When he emerges, he is celebrated as a hero.

  5. Tony Fernandes:

    This is my worst nightmare. But there is no stopping, i as your group CEO will be there through these hard times. We will go through this terrible ordeal together and I will try to see as many of you.

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Ordeal#10000#29653#100000

Translations for Ordeal

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"Ordeal." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 3 May 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Ordeal>.

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