dilemma vs quandary

dilemma

noun
  • A difficult circumstance or problem. 

  • A type of syllogism of the form "if A is true then B is true; if C is true then D is true; either A or C is true; therefore either B or D is true". 

  • A circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable. 

  • Offering to an opponent a choice between two (equally unfavorable) alternatives. 

quandary

noun
  • A dilemma, a difficult decision or choice. 

  • A state of not knowing what to decide; a state of difficulty or perplexity; a state of uncertainty, hesitation or puzzlement. 

How often have the words dilemma and quandary occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )