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
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.
This increases pressure on private-credit borrowers, many of which are already having difficulty meeting interest payments.
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
"Our research tells us that more people are having difficulty balancing the cost of running their home alongside other essential outgoings," she said.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
Their resort to military force—following thousands of drone and missile attacks by Iran—shows the difficulty of returning to the previous status quo.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026
He cited "the social climate that has suddenly developed" in the United States and said that "even the best educated in America have great difficulty in finding a job".
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
However, when I had found the court, I had no difficulty in discovering Corcoran’s lodging-house.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
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.
