situation

general, overall, total, whole

current, immediate, present

international, local, national, world

actual, concrete, real/real-life

hypothetical, unlikely

favourable, happy, healthy, ideal, privileged

satisfactory, stable

chaotic, explosive, fluid, unstable, volatile

awkward, delicate, difficult, embarrassing, sticky, stressful, tense, tricky, uncomfortable, unpleasant, vulnerable

When my boss walked in during the argument, it created an awkward situation that made everyone uncomfortable.

dangerous, hazardous, perilous, risky

crisis, emergency

alarming, bad, critical, deplorable, desperate, disgraceful, grave, intolerable, serious, terrible, tragic, unhappy

catch-22, hopeless, no-win

absurd, bizarre, extraordinary, ludicrous, novel, odd, paradoxical, ridiculous, strange, unique, unusual

complex, complicated

simple

one-to-one

social

Meeting new people at parties can be challenging for those uncomfortable in social situations.

strategic

work

domestic

economic, financial, legal, military, political

The country's economic situation improved after the government introduced new policies.

bring about, create, lead to, result in

be faced with, be placed in, encounter, face, find yourself in, get into

After the accident, Sarah faced a difficult situation that required immediate attention.

avoid

grasp, take in, understand

He quickly grasped the difficult situation and knew exactly what to do next.

analyse, appraise, assess, consider, discuss, examine, judge, look at, review, size up, take stock of, think about, weigh up

clarify, describe, explain, outline, sum up

accept, face up to

address, be in control of, cope with, deal with, handle, respond to, take control of

The emergency team responded quickly to the dangerous situation at the airport.

ameliorate, defuse, ease, help, improve, rectify, remedy

The new manager's calm approach really helped ease the tense situation in the office.

exploit, take advantage of

When the store was out of stock, the competitor quickly exploited the situation to gain more customers.

lose control of

affect, change, influence, transform

aggravate, complicate, exacerbate

The heavy rain only aggravated the situation at the flooded bridge.

arise, develop

A serious problem developed in the office when the manager suddenly left.

improve

change

deteriorate, worsen

After the factory closed, the economic situation in the town worsened significantly.

in a/the ~

I wouldn't know how to handle myself in that situation.

the gravity/seriousness of the situation

Everyone realized the seriousness of the situation when the hospital ran out of supplies.

a way out of the situation

After the argument, they finally found a way out of the situation by apologizing to each other.

beautiful, idyllic, pleasant

in a ~

The hotel is in a convenient situation near the train station and shopping centre.