Facing Unpleasantness

a heavy and difficult situation or responsibility that someone has to deal with

He finally realized that he was in a toxic relationship, and he vowed to free himself from that yoke around his neck.

to be dealing with a critical or extremely difficult situation

I knew I was batting on a sticky wicket when the boss saw me kissing his daughter at the cinema.

to be expecting something difficult or undesirable to happen

When they heard the thunder, they knew they were in for a stormy evening.

to get ready for trouble, difficulty, or danger

With a hurricane approaching, the residents were advised to batten down the hatches and prepare for the worst.

said to man as a way of asking them to behave less emotional, more though, or more responsible in face of difficulties

Stop crying over losing your cat and be a man already!

to get into a confrontation with a person or thing that is more powerful than what one assumed

It looks like we caught a Tartar when we tried to muscle their store out of the area.

to experience something that is extremely painful or difficult, particularly for a long time

During the war, the soldiers went through hell, facing constant danger and hardship.

in trouble or a very difficult situation

After making a costly mistake at work, he found himself in deep water with his superiors.

a situation or state that is very undesirable or difficult

The sudden downpour during the picnic made for a pretty pass, with everyone scrambling for cover.

a worrisome or difficult responsibility or undertaking that is a burden to one

After his promotion, he felt the weight of the world on his shoulders as he assumed greater responsibilities at work.

(particularly of an event or a difficult situation) to cause a lot of suffering to someone and make them look or feel much older

The stress of his demanding job has put years on him; he looks much older than his actual age.

(of a problem or unpleasant situation) to appear or become noticeable often unexpectedly

Fundamentalist extremism has been raising its head all around the world over the last couple years.

(of a person) placed in a difficult situation with little or no resources or help

The bottom line was that I was high and dry.

used to refer to being in the middle of a chaotic or controversial situation while maintaining a sense of control

The Prime Minister was often in the eye of the storm during the debate on whether or not to intervene in Syria.

used to say that a period of happiness, enjoyment, etc. has come to an end and one's life is going to get back to the state it previously was, if not worse

The staff hardly worked at all under the old management, but they'll soon find out that the party's over.

a day on which one feels unattractive, particularly due to one's hair not looking as well as it should

During the event last week, he had a bad hair day and regretted not scheduling a salon appointment beforehand.

in an inevitable confrontation with an unpleasant or difficult situation

Eventually, he came face-to-face with discrimination again.

(of situations, moods, or relationships) to become unpleasant or unsuccessful

Unfortunately, their friendship started to go sour after a series of misunderstandings.