difficulty

American  

[dif-i-kuhl-tee] / ˈdɪf ɪˌkʌl ti /

noun

plural

difficulties

1. the fact or condition of being difficult.

2. Often difficulties. an embarrassing situation, especially of financial affairs.

   Synonyms:

   strait, exigency, fix, plight, quandary, predicament, dilemma

3. a trouble or struggle.

   Synonyms:

   problem

4. a cause of trouble, struggle, or embarrassment.

5. a disagreement or dispute.

6. reluctance; unwillingness.

7. a demur; objection.

8. something that is hard to do, understand, or surmount; an impediment or obstacle.

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difficulty British  

/ ˈdɪfɪkəltɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being difficult

2. a task, problem, etc, that is hard to deal with

3. (often plural) a troublesome or embarrassing situation, esp a financial one

4. a dispute or disagreement

5. (often plural) an objection or obstacle

   he always makes difficulties

6. a trouble or source of trouble; worry

7. lack of ease; awkwardness

   he could run only with difficulty

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Other Word Forms

• predifficulty noun

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.

Example Sentences

I can afford to spend more than I do — in fact, I could buy just about anything I want — but I have great difficulty actually spending money.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

“Given difficulty properly assessing confidence/risks around its central outlook, BOJ looks more likely to postpone hiking until June,” they add.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

"There's a lot of work behind it. We've done something that has never been done in the history of our club in 140 years, so that tells you the difficulty of that."

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

“Congress has a short-term memory, that is the difficulty here,” the staffer said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

With difficulty I started climbing one of the large trees on the island, but I was arrested by a shrill cry and a sudden scrambling in the upper branches.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

Related Words

• anxiety
• complication
• crisis
• embarrassment
• frustration
• inconvenience
• misery
• predicament
• pressure
• setback
• stress
• strife
• struggle
• trouble
• worry