difficulty
Americannoun
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the fact or condition of being difficult.
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Often difficulties. an embarrassing situation, especially of financial affairs.
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a trouble or struggle.
- Synonyms:
- problem
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a cause of trouble, struggle, or embarrassment.
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a disagreement or dispute.
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reluctance; unwillingness.
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a demur; objection.
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something that is hard to do, understand, or surmount; an impediment or obstacle.
noun
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the state or quality of being difficult
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a task, problem, etc, that is hard to deal with
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(often plural) a troublesome or embarrassing situation, esp a financial one
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a dispute or disagreement
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(often plural) an objection or obstacle
he always makes difficulties
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a trouble or source of trouble; worry
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lack of ease; awkwardness
he could run only with difficulty
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of difficulty
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English difficulte, from Anglo-French, from Latin difficultās, equivalent to difficil(is) difficile + -tās -ty 2
Explanation
A difficulty is anything that gives you a hard or difficult time. If you eat a lot of chips and dip before dinner, you may have some difficulty finishing your meal. A difficulty is anything that causes problems. Forgetting an answer during a test could be a difficulty. A broken leg is a more painful difficulty. A poor economy is a difficulty, and losing your job is a more personal difficulty. A difficulty is also anything that’s not easy to do, like becoming a doctor or lifting a huge weight. Difficulties are generally serious or hard to overcome. If you’re having difficulty, you’re having troubles.
Vocabulary lists containing difficulty
Messenger
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Spelling Practice, Unit 5
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Predicament, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These cognitive changes can include trouble concentrating, memory problems, and difficulty juggling multiple tasks.
From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026
"In particular, with conditions such as addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorder we see a difficulty in breaking habits and shifting behavior. So, understanding the mechanics of behavioral flexibility may one day help us develop better treatments."
From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026
"The surgery is lovely, but the difficulty is getting there and back."
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
The challenge highlights the difficulty governments face in overcoming economic vulnerabilities that emerge in a deeply intertwined world.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
The real difficulty was that Hamilton’s plan was very much a projection of his own audacious personality.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
