Meaning
ordeal, suffering
- long and painful ordeal or suffering
- Calvary (the site of the Crucifixion)
In a sentence
Ottenere quel permesso è stato un vero calvario burocratico.
Obtaining that permit was a true bureaucratic ordeal.
Dopo mesi di cure estenuanti, il suo calvario sembra finalmente terminato.
After months of grueling treatment, his ordeal finally seems to be over.
Nessun cittadino dovrebbe affrontare un simile calvario per ottenere giustizia.
No citizen should have to face such an ordeal to obtain justice.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| calvario | masculine · singular |
| calvari | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- Frequently used in everyday Italian to describe an exhausting legal, bureaucratic, or health ordeal.
- Capitalized as 'il Calvario' when referring specifically to Mount Calvary.