difficult

adjective

dif·fi·cult ˈdi-fi-(ˌ)kəlt How to pronounce difficult (audio)

: hard to do, make, or carry out : arduous

a difficult climb

: hard to deal with, manage, or overcome

a difficult child

having a difficult time coping with her death

: hard to understand : puzzling

difficult reading

found calculus too difficult

difficultly adverb

Example Sentences

We were asked lots of difficult questions. I had to make a very difficult decision. We'll be hiking over difficult terrain. It's more difficult than it sounds. I found myself in a difficult position. Some difficult days lie ahead of us. These changes will make life difficult for everyone involved. See More

Recent Examples on the Web Thawing them can be difficult without the right paperwork.

Amy Dickinson, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2022 Thawing them can be difficult without the right paperwork.

Amy Dickinson, cleveland, 11 Sep. 2022 Considering all those factors and ultimately making a ruling on DNRs can be difficult for judges, Marques said.

Monivette Cordeiro, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2022 Thawing them can be difficult without the right paperwork.

Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 11 Sep. 2022 In San Diego, there is a replica of a 19th-century kitchen garden representing a time when there was no refrigeration, road systems were poor, and traveling to obtain fresh produce was difficult.

Helen Purcell Montag, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2022 Uncertainties have persisted for so long because proving that anything is driven by the body’s internal clock is difficult and requires a grueling study design.

WIRED, 9 Sep. 2022 Doing so has been difficult this week, with Baltimore dropping four of its past five games, including three of four to a Toronto Blue Jays team it’s chasing for the American League’s final wild-card spot.

Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 9 Sep. 2022 Drawing broad conclusions about ancient societies from a small number of bones and archaeological sites is difficult, the authors of the new paper acknowledged.

Dominique Mosbergen, WSJ, 7 Sep. 2022 See More

difficult

adjective

as in challenging

requiring considerable physical or mental effort difficult questions on the exam that required analytical thinking

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

challenging
tough
hard
demanding
rigorous
complicated
formidable
heavy
rough
effortful
arduous
testing
exhausting
rugged
painful
strenuous
severe
laborious
tall
uphill
complex
grueling
sweaty
intricate
herculean
problematic
backbreaking
exacting
toilsome
tricky
serious
trying
murderous
killer
stiff
involved
annoying
gruelling
elusive
stressful
hellacious
troublesome
problematical
grim
stubborn
brutal
moiling
tight
onerous
burdensome
thorny
pick-and-shovel
abstract
taxing
oppressive
abstruse
irksome
labored
opaque
bruising
insoluble
bothersome
recondite
ticklish
hairy
knotty
Augean
strict
vexatious
spiny
distressing
cruel
stringent
grievous
inhuman

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

easy
simple
light
effortless
soft
cheap
clear
undemanding
doable
facile
uncomplicated
achievable
elementary
mindless
smooth
manageable
comforting
gentle
painless
soothing
relaxed
accessible
friendly
idiotproof
user-friendly

as in tough

requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling it's a difficult situation when two of your friends are quarreling and you're trying to stay out of it

Synonyms & Similar Words

tough
problematic
sensitive
complicated
tricky
hard
problematical
problem
sticky
delicate
complex
painful
thorny
touchy
serious
nasty
ticklish
tricksy
knotty
hairy
dodgy
catchy
spiny
troublesome
prickly
involved
intricate
vexing
abstruse
stressful
abstract
inconvenient
stubborn
worrisome
recondite
onerous
exhausting
demanding
vexatious
burdensome
troublous
oppressive
exacting
scabrous
importunate
discommoding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

easy
simple
straightforward
uncomplicated
effortless
unproblematic
painless
undemanding
manageable

Synonym Chooser

The words arduous and hard are common synonyms of difficult. While all three words mean "demanding great exertion or effort," difficult implies the presence of obstacles to be surmounted or puzzles to be resolved and suggests the need of skill or courage.

the difficult ascent of the mountain

While in some cases nearly identical to difficult, arduous stresses the need of laborious and persevering exertion.

the arduous task of rebuilding

In some situations, the words hard and difficult are roughly equivalent. However, hard implies the opposite of all that is easy.

farming is hard work

单词	difficult
释义	difficult adjective dif·fi·cult ˈdi-fi-(ˌ)kəlt 1 : hard to do, make, or carry out : arduous a difficult climb 2 a : hard to deal with, manage, or overcome a difficult child having a difficult time coping with her death b : hard to understand : puzzling difficult reading found calculus too difficult difficultly adverb Synonyms arduous Augean backbreaking challenging demanding effortful exacting formidable grueling gruelling hard heavy hellacious herculean killer laborious moiling murderous pick-and-shovel rigorous rough rugged severe stiff strenuous sweaty tall testing toilsome tough uphill See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences We were asked lots of difficult questions. I had to make a very difficult decision. We'll be hiking over difficult terrain. It's more difficult than it sounds. I found myself in a difficult position. Some difficult days lie ahead of us. These changes will make life difficult for everyone involved. See More Recent Examples on the Web Thawing them can be difficult without the right paperwork. Amy Dickinson, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2022 Thawing them can be difficult without the right paperwork. Amy Dickinson, cleveland, 11 Sep. 2022 Considering all those factors and ultimately making a ruling on DNRs can be difficult for judges, Marques said. Monivette Cordeiro, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2022 Thawing them can be difficult without the right paperwork. Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 11 Sep. 2022 In San Diego, there is a replica of a 19th-century kitchen garden representing a time when there was no refrigeration, road systems were poor, and traveling to obtain fresh produce was difficult. Helen Purcell Montag, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2022 Uncertainties have persisted for so long because proving that anything is driven by the body’s internal clock is difficult and requires a grueling study design. WIRED, 9 Sep. 2022 Doing so has been difficult this week, with Baltimore dropping four of its past five games, including three of four to a Toronto Blue Jays team it’s chasing for the American League’s final wild-card spot. Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 9 Sep. 2022 Drawing broad conclusions about ancient societies from a small number of bones and archaeological sites is difficult, the authors of the new paper acknowledged. Dominique Mosbergen, WSJ, 7 Sep. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Middle English, probably back-formation from difficulte difficulty First Known Use 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Kids Definition difficult adjective dif·fi·cult ˈdi-fi-ˌkəlt 1 : not easy : hard to do or make a difficult job 2 : hard to deal with difficult circumstances a difficult child 3 : hard to understand a difficult subject difficult adjective 1 as in challenging requiring considerable physical or mental effort difficult questions on the exam that required analytical thinking Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance challenging tough hard demanding rigorous complicated formidable heavy rough effortful arduous testing exhausting rugged painful strenuous severe laborious tall uphill complex grueling sweaty intricate herculean problematic backbreaking exacting toilsome tricky serious trying murderous killer stiff involved annoying gruelling elusive stressful hellacious troublesome problematical grim stubborn brutal moiling tight onerous burdensome thorny pick-and-shovel abstract taxing oppressive abstruse irksome labored opaque bruising insoluble bothersome recondite ticklish hairy knotty Augean strict vexatious spiny distressing cruel stringent grievous inhuman Antonyms & Near Antonyms easy simple light effortless soft cheap clear undemanding doable facile uncomplicated achievable elementary mindless smooth manageable comforting gentle painless soothing relaxed accessible friendly idiotproof user-friendly See More 2 as in tough requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling it's a difficult situation when two of your friends are quarreling and you're trying to stay out of it Synonyms & Similar Words tough problematic sensitive complicated tricky hard problematical problem sticky delicate complex painful thorny touchy serious nasty ticklish tricksy knotty hairy dodgy catchy spiny troublesome prickly involved intricate vexing abstruse stressful abstract inconvenient stubborn worrisome recondite onerous exhausting demanding vexatious burdensome troublous oppressive exacting scabrous importunate discommoding Antonyms & Near Antonyms easy simple straightforward uncomplicated effortless unproblematic painless undemanding manageable See More Synonym Chooser The words arduous and hard are common synonyms of difficult. While all three words mean "demanding great exertion or effort," difficult implies the presence of obstacles to be surmounted or puzzles to be resolved and suggests the need of skill or courage. the difficult ascent of the mountain While in some cases nearly identical to difficult, arduous stresses the need of laborious and persevering exertion. the arduous task of rebuilding In some situations, the words hard and difficult are roughly equivalent. However, hard implies the opposite of all that is easy. farming is hard work
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difficult

adjective

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adjective

adjective

Synonym Chooser