difficulty

American  

[dif-i-kuhl-tee] / ˈdɪf ɪˌkʌl ti /

noun

• difficulties
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• predifficulty
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• difficulties
  plural

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

See Examples For:

difficulty difficulties

“These findings underscore the difficulty of making an initial enrollment decision in Medicare,” the study said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

The most frequently reported side effects were dry mouth, nausea, insomnia, and difficulty urinating.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026

"The gorges are very deep and steep, so that's the difficulty."

From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026

Root not only highlighted the difficulty of conditions, but also suggested batting is being made harder by what he perceived to be a different technique employed by ball manufacturers Dukes.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

I shivered as I looked—for I could not sleep, and even a prayer came with difficulty.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

The Navy has acknowledged the difficulties associated with long deployments, but said there was always adequate food and that “a small number” of mental-health issues were treated with no loss of life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Maintaining both entanglement and quantum coherence is one of the major difficulties facing quantum computing.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026

Her twin girls, now four, "had a speech delay and some learning difficulties" - but Stewart noticed a change after just the second book.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

As a result, he said, Cal Fire had difficulties flying an “intel” plane over the area.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

And although from time to time there arose a courageous pope like Pope Sixtus, neither Fortune nor his wisdom could ever free him from these difficulties.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli

Related Words

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