difficult

[ dif-i-kuhlt, -kuhlt ]

/ ˈdɪf ɪˌkʌlt, -kəlt /

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See synonyms for: difficult / difficultly on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not easily or readily done; requiring much labor, skill, or planning to be performed successfully; hard: a difficult job.

hard to understand or solve: a difficult problem.

hard to deal with or get on with: a difficult pupil.

hard to please or satisfy: a difficult employer.

hard to persuade or induce; stubborn: a difficult old man.

disadvantageous; trying; hampering: The operation was performed under the most difficult conditions.

fraught with hardship, especially financial hardship: We saw some difficult times during the depression years.

OTHER WORDS FOR difficult

1 arduous.

2 intricate, perplexing, involved, knotty.

4 particular, finical, fussy.

5 obdurate, uncompromising.

See synonyms for difficult on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR difficult

1 easy.

2 simple.

See antonyms for difficult on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of difficult

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, back formation from difficulty

synonym study for difficult

1. See hard.

OTHER WORDS FROM difficult

dif·fi·cult·ly, adverbnon·dif·fi·cult, adjectivequa·si-dif·fi·cult, adjectivequa·si-dif·fi·cult·ly, adverb

su·per·dif·fi·cult, adjectivesu·per·dif·fi·cult·ly, adverbun·dif·fi·cult, adjectiveun·dif·fi·cult·ly, adverb

Words nearby difficult

differentiation, differentiator, differently, different strokes for different folks, difficile, difficult, difficulty, diffidence, diffident, diffidently, diffluence

How to use difficult in a sentence

These are difficult conversations that aren’t going to go away whether or not we play the national anthem.
The NBA’s week of controversies show how hard life is outside of the bubble|Ben Golliver|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
It’s really difficult to do a cost-benefit analysis when you can’t quantify the benefits, which is the case with rotational-energy protection systems.
The Trek WaveCel Helmet Lawsuit, Explained|Joe Lindsey|February 10, 2021|Outside Online
That would make it much more difficult to operate a site like Yelp, which relies on having negative user content that people that it’s about would want taken down.
Twenty-Six Words Created the Internet. What Will It Take to Save It?|Stephen Engelberg|February 9, 2021|ProPublica
Under normal circumstances, with a defeated incumbent president, it is difficult for a party to change.
Senate Republicans take note: The public is moving in favor of conviction|Jennifer Rubin|February 9, 2021|Washington Post

The Washington Football Team is also in need of a quarterback, but it’s difficult to imagine an intra-divisional trade.
The 10 biggest roster questions in the NFL as the offseason begins|John Clayton|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
The choice between freedom and fear is not difficult when seen with perspective.
Why We Stand With Charlie Hebdo—And You Should Too|John Avlon|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Although Huckabee's condescending tone - like that of an elementary school history teacher - makes it difficult to take seriously.
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
That makes it incredibly difficult to determine the effects of airstrikes, for example.
Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War|Nancy A. Youssef|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Being the first to declare feelings is incredibly difficult.
Random Hook-Ups or Dry Spells: Why Millennials Flunk College Dating|Ellie Schaack|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
White rappers are always difficult to comprehend, difficult to deal with.
The Cultural Crimes of Iggy Azalea|Amy Zimmerman|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the early stages of chronic nephritis, when diagnosis is difficult, it is usually normal.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
It was difficult, with the mean appliances of the time, to wring subsistence from the reluctant earth.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
It was difficult to describe—a little sterner, a little wilder, a faint emphasis of the barbaric peering through it.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
Ajoutez cecy, s'il vous plaist, la grande difficult qu'il y a de tirer d'eux les mots mesmes qu'ils ont.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Numbers have dribbled back from firing line and cannot be collected in this difficult country.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton

British Dictionary definitions for difficult

difficult

/ (ˈdɪfɪkəlt) /

adjective

not easy to do; requiring efforta difficult job

not easy to understand or solve; intricatea difficult problem

hard to deal with; troublesomea difficult child

not easily convinced, pleased, or satisfieda difficult audience

full of hardships or trialsdifficult times ahead

Derived forms of difficult

difficultly, adverb

Word Origin for difficult

C14: back formation from difficulty

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

difficult

OTHER WORDS FOR difficult

OPPOSITES FOR difficult

Origin of difficult

synonym study for difficult

OTHER WORDS FROM difficult

Words nearby difficult

Words related to difficult

How to use difficult in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for difficult

Derived forms of difficult

Word Origin for difficult