state of affairs - the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time; "the present international situation is dangerous"; "wondered how such a state of affairs had come about"; "eternal truths will be neither true nor eternal unless they have fresh meaning for every new social situation"- Franklin D.Rooseveltstate - the way something is with respect to its main attributes; "the current state of knowledge"; "his state of health"; "in a weak financial state" absurd, the absurd - a situation in which life seems irrational and meaningless; "The absurd is the essential concept and the first truth"--Albert Camus acceptance - the state of being acceptable and accepted; "torn jeans received no acceptance at the country club" ballgame, new ballgame - a particular situation that is radically different from the preceding situation; "HDTV looks the same but it's really a whole new ballgame" challenge - a demanding or stimulating situation; "they reacted irrationally to the challenge of Russian power" complication - a situation or condition that is complex or confused; "her coming was a serious complication" crowding - a situation in which people or things are crowded together; "he didn't like the crowding on the beach" disequilibrium - loss of equilibrium attributable to an unstable situation in which some forces outweigh others element - the situation in which you are happiest and most effective; "in your element" environment - the totality of surrounding conditions; "he longed for the comfortable environment of his living room" equilibrium - a stable situation in which forces cancel one another hotbed - a situation that is ideal for rapid development (especially of something bad); "it was a hotbed of vice" intestacy - the situation of being or dying without a legally valid will picture, scene - a situation treated as an observable object; "the political picture is favorable"; "the religious scene in England has changed in the last century" size of it, size - the actual state of affairs; "that's the size of the situation"; "she hates me, that's about the size of it" square one - the situation in which you begin an endeavor and to which you return if your efforts fail; "the police are now back at square one after having arrested and released 27 men"; "she has tried to diet but always ends up back at square one" thing - a special situation; "this thing has got to end"; "it is a remarkable thing" |