difficult
Americanadjective
-
not easily or readily done; requiring much labor, skill, or planning to be performed successfully; hard.
a difficult job.
- Synonyms:
- arduous
- Antonyms:
- easy
-
hard to understand or solve.
a difficult problem.
- Antonyms:
- simple
-
hard to deal with or get on with.
a difficult pupil.
-
hard to please or satisfy.
a difficult employer.
- Synonyms:
- fussy, finical, particular
-
hard to persuade or induce; stubborn.
a difficult old man.
- Synonyms:
- uncompromising, obdurate
-
disadvantageous; trying; hampering.
The operation was performed under the most difficult conditions.
-
fraught with hardship, especially financial hardship.
We saw some difficult times during the depression years.
adjective
-
not easy to do; requiring effort
a difficult job
-
not easy to understand or solve; intricate
a difficult problem
-
hard to deal with; troublesome
a difficult child
-
not easily convinced, pleased, or satisfied
a difficult audience
-
full of hardships or trials
difficult times ahead
Related Words
See hard.
Other Word Forms
- difficultly adverb
- nondifficult adjective
- quasi-difficult adjective
- quasi-difficultly adverb
- superdifficult adjective
- superdifficultly adverb
- undifficult adjective
- undifficultly adverb
Etymology
Origin of difficult
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, back formation from difficulty ( def. )
Explanation
If something is difficult, it requires physical effort or brain power to complete, like climbing Mount Everest, a difficult journey. Difficult has Latin parts: dis meaning "not, un" and facilis meaning "easy." So, something that is difficult is not easy, like marathon running. Difficult can also be used to describe a situation or person that is hard to control. For example, if you babysit a difficult child, he or she might run away from you and not obey you. And you might have a difficult time agreeing to watch that child again.
Vocabulary lists containing difficult
President Obama's second inaugural address
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"Angels in the Snow"
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Obama's speech at Connecticut vigil
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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.
Land, by contrast, is neither mobile nor difficult to identify and tax—and provides a far broader foundation.
From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026
Freland said financial sanctions against Iran and the nationwide internet blackout there have made it more difficult for outside groups to offer preventive training or rapid support.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
She noted that Redondo Beach’s local geography can make this stage more difficult.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
Given the information we have so far about Morgan’s actions and his statement, a court may find it difficult to afford him immunity.
From Slate • Apr. 17, 2026
Owen and George pulled the snowmobile away from the cracking ice and made a difficult Y turn in the snow.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
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.
