Meaning

noun a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one

noun state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options

origin16th century. Origin unknown; perhaps a dialectal corruption (simulating a word of Latin origin with suffix -ary) of wandreth (“evil, plight, peril, adversity, difficulty”), from Middle English wandreth, from Old Norse vandræði (“difficulty, trouble”), from vándr (“difficult, requiring pains and care”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0