noun
Calvary
KAL-vree
noun
1
The hill just outside Jerusalem where, according to Christian tradition, Jesus was crucified.
"Pilgrims retrace the route to Calvary every Easter."
2
A period of intense suffering or hardship.
"Losing the business felt like his own personal calvary."
How to Use Calvary
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishOriginally the hill of the crucifixion; by extension, any ordeal of great suffering.
Common mistake
Don't mix it up with cavalry (soldiers on horseback) — the words look similar but are unrelated.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
calvaries plural
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Pilgrims retrace the route to _____ every Easter.
Etymology
From Latin calvāria, "skull" — the traditional site was known as the "place of the skull."