difficult

adjective

dif·fi·cult ˈdi-fi-(ˌ)kəlt

Synonyms of difficult next

: 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

Choose the Right Synonym for difficult

hard, difficult, arduous mean demanding great exertion or effort.

hard implies the opposite of all that is easy.

farming is hard work

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

arduous stresses the need of laborious and persevering exertion.

the arduous task of rebuilding

Examples of difficult in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

But extracting data from a phone can be extremely difficult, depending on the model of the phone and the operating system. —

Holly Yan, CNN, 7 Dec. 2024 Add Fragrance That earthy pine scent is one aspect of a real tree that is difficult to part with when making the switch to faux. —

Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Dec. 2024 That can be difficult for someone to get in general, especially for someone who’s never sung before. —

Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 7 Dec. 2024 Weightiness in Its Black and White Cinematography Co-star Nicholas Hoult had his own experience dealing with these difficult scene partners and decided to make the best of it by having fun with some of his fellow players, including Bill Skarsgård, who plays the blood-thirsty creature Count Orlok. —

Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 7 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for difficult