A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
...the economic problems of the inner city. [+ of]
The main problem is unemployment.
He told Americans that solving the energy problem was very important.
...people with mental health problems.
[Also + with]
Synonyms: difficulty, trouble, dispute, plight More Synonyms of problem
2. countable noun
A problem is a puzzle that requires logical thought or mathematics to solve it.
With mathematical problems, you can save time by approximating.
3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Problem children or problem families have serious problems or cause serious problems for other people.
In some cases a problem child is placed in a special school.
She is afraid to contact the social services in case they are labelled a problemfamily.
4.
See no problem
5.
See no problem
More Synonyms of problem
problem in British English
(ˈprɒbləm)
noun
1.
a.
any thing, matter, person, etc, that is difficult to deal with, solve, or overcome
b.
(as modifier)
a problem child
2.
a puzzle, question, etc, set for solution
3. mathematics
a statement requiring a solution usually by means of one or more operations or geometric constructions
4. (modifier)
designating a literary work that deals with difficult moral questions
a problem play
Word origin
C14: from Late Latin problēma, from Greek: something put forward; related to proballein to throw forwards, from pro-2 + ballein to throw
problem in American English
(ˈprɑbləm)
noun
1.
a question proposed for solution or consideration
2.
a question, matter, situation, or person that is perplexing or difficult
3. Ancient Mathematics
a proposition requiring solution by mathematical operations, constructions, etc.
adjective
4.
presenting a problem of human conduct or social relationships
a problem novel
5.
very difficult to deal with; esp., very difficult to train or discipline
a problem child
Idioms:
have a problem with
no problem
Word origin
ME probleme < MFr < L problema < Gr problēma < proballein, to throw forward < pro-, forward + ballein, to throw, drive: see pro-1 & ball2
COBUILD Collocations
problem
alcohol problem
back problem
behavioural problems
big problem
chronic problem
common problem
compound the problem
debt problem
deeper problem
drug problems
economic problems
encounter problems
endemic problem
erection problem
experience a problem
financial problems
fix the problem
growing problem
highlight the problem
hip problem
identify the problem
image problem
injury problem
insurmountable problems
long-term problem
main problem
major problems
medical problem
obvious problem
overcome problems
particular problem
persistent problem
physical problem
pose problems
real problem
resolve the problem
self-inflicted problem
serious problem
significant problem
social problems
solve the problem
structural problem
tackle the problem
technical problem
the only problem
the problem was evident
the same problem
twofold problem
underlying problem
weight problem
widespread problem
Examples of 'problem' in a sentence
problem
Other victims had drug alcohol problems, some were suspects.
The Sun (2016)
He said better education about emotional problems at schools would help.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
One victim suffered psychiatric problems and is set to be discharged.
The Sun (2016)
Your blood pressure surges and the exercise is not suitable for people with heart problems.
The Sun (2016)
Yet the government has no solution to the problem.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
No one has a problem with that.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
What is it that we would be sacrificing if we can solve this problem by ignoring it?
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
For it is part of a wider trend of pretending that there are easy answers to complex social and political problems.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Other victims had drug alcohol problems, some were suspects.
The Sun (2016)
The price tag of these feasts reflects one of the major problems facing the city.
The Sun (2009)
There were also problems in the schools.
Bramwell, Anna C Refugees in the Age of Total War (1988)
With that background he knows the problems in family hearings.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
This is not a problem many people face.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The scope of social action itself in part determines what we mean by social problems.
Brown, Muriel & Payne Sarah Introduction to Social Administration in Britain (1990)
Voluntary codes of conduct agreed with service providers may be another solution to the problem.
The Sun (2010)
Of course there is one problem with this study.
Claudia Hammond EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER: A Journey Through the Science of Feelings (2005)
Taking time to listen can turn a person who caused problems into a friend with love potential.
The Sun (2014)
This results in delays and exposes fairly serious problems.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
There is no limit to the things which can cause problems.
Hambly, Dr Kenneth Banish Anxiety - how to stop worrying and take charge of your life (1991)
It looks as if it is struggling to overcome that problem again with care of the elderly.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Where this leaves them in terms of social status is a problem they find difficult to resolve.
Lee Harvey Critical Social Research (1990)
She and her husband say that lack of discipline is a problem for the city.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
There is strong leadership that actively recognizes problems in the school and seeks to solve them.
Pressley, Michael & McCormick, Christine Advanced Educational Psychology For Educators, Researchers and Policymakers, (1995)
He was suffering with family problems and not training well.
The Sun (2014)
All of these problems result in people feeling of less value and less worth.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Present him with a simple problem and he seems to have all sorts of trouble solving it.
Bain, Roly Fools Rush In - A Call to Christian Clowning (1993)
Social problems that have been festering for decades have exploded in our face.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
They are not looking for a solution to a problem as they tell their tales.
O'Keeffe, John Your One Week Way to Mind-Fitness (1994)
Hungary faces growing pressure over what critics perceive as efforts to undermine democracy and a stark worsening of its economic problems.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The only real problems are the puzzles, which are too reliant on notes you'll struggle to remember and idiosyncratic leaps of logic.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Quotations
A problem shared is a problem halved
In other languages
problem
British English: problem /ˈprɒbləm/ NOUN
A problem is an unsatisfactory situation that causes difficulties for people.
He left home at the age of 16 because of family problems.
American English: problem
Arabic: مُشْكِلَة
Brazilian Portuguese: problema
Chinese: 问题
Croatian: problem
Czech: problém
Danish: problem
Dutch: probleem
European Spanish: problema
Finnish: ongelma
French: problème
German: Problem
Greek: πρόβλημα
Italian: problema
Japanese: 問題
Korean: 문제
Norwegian: problem
Polish: problem
European Portuguese: problema
Romanian: problemă
Russian: проблема
Latin American Spanish: problema
Swedish: problem
Thai: ปัญหา
Turkish: sorun
Ukrainian: проблема
Vietnamese: vấn đề khó khăn
All related terms of 'problem'
big problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
hip problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
no problem
You say ' no problem ' to show that you are willing to do what you have been asked .
Y2K problem
the predicted malfunction of some computer systems prior to or at the beginning of the year 2000 because of their inability to distinguish between dates in the 1900s and dates in the 2000s: this inability results from the coding of year dates in some software and chips with only the final two, rather than all four, digits
back problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
debt problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
drink problem
If someone is said to have a drink problem , they are thought to drink too much alcohol
heart problem
a defect or disease of the heart
image problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
main problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
problem area
a place that is prone to a particular problem or danger , such as flooding or road-traffic accidents
problem-free
without problems
problem page
a feature in a newspaper , magazine , etc in which readers ' problems are published and answers supplied
real problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
alcohol problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
chronic problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
common problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
deeper problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
endemic problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
growing problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
health problem
a problem that affects someone's health
injury problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
medical problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
obvious problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
problem-solving
the act or process of finding solutions to problems, esp by using a scientific or analytical approach
serious problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
twofold problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
weight problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
attitude problem
a frame of mind perceived by others to be hostile or uncooperative
drinking problem
If someone is said to have a drink problem , they are thought to drink too much alcohol
erection problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
knapsack problem
the problem of determining which numbers from a given collection of numbers have been added together to yield a specific sum : used in cryptography to encipher (and sometimes decipher ) messages
particular problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
persistent problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
physical problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
structural problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
technical problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
underlying problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
widespread problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
fix the problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
long-term problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
mind-body problem
the traditional philosophical problem concerning the nature of mind , body, and the relationship between them
significant problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
solve the problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
tackle the problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
the only problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
the same problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
compound the problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
experience a problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
first-world problem
a relatively minor inconvenience affecting an affluent person, in contrast with a serious problem concerning personal survival that may be experienced by people in the developing world
Chinese translation of 'problem'
problem
(ˈprɔbləm)
n(c)
(= difficulty) 难(難)题(題) (nántí) (个(個), gè)
(= puzzle) 疑惑 (yíhuò) (个(個), gè)
to have problems with sth对(對)某事有疑惑 (duì mǒushì yǒu yíhuò)
what's the problem?有什么(麼)问(問)题(題)吗(嗎)？ (yǒu shénme wèntí ma?)
I had no problem finding her我要找她不难(難) (wǒ yào zhǎo tā bù nán)
no problem! (inf) 没(沒)问(問)题(題)! (méi wèntí!)
All related terms of 'problem'
no problem!
( inf ) 没(沒)问(問)题(題)! méi wèntí!
what's the problem?
有什么(麼)问(問)题(題)吗(嗎)？ yǒu shénme wèntí ma?
the problem is that ...
问(問)题(題)是 ... wèntí shì ...
I had no problem finding her
我要找她不难(難) wǒ yào zhǎo tā bù nán
the slightest noise/problem etc
极(極)轻(輕)微的声(聲)响(響)/极(極)小的问(問)题(題) 等 jí qīngwēi de shēngxiǎng/jí xiǎo de wèntí děng
to get a handle on a problem
( inf ) 控制某个(個)问(問)题(題) kòngzhì mǒu gè wèntí
to have a problem with money
在经(經)济(濟)上有麻烦(煩) zài jīngjì shang yǒu máfan
he inquired as to what the problem was
有关(關)存在什么(麼)问(問)题(題)，他进(進)行了了解 yǒuguān cúnzài shénme wèntí, tā jìnxíngle liǎojiě
it would be worth your while to do something about the problem
花工夫处(處)理这(這)个(個)问(問)题(題)是值得的 huā gōngfu chǔlǐ zhège wèntí shì zhídé de