1
as in challenging
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
difficult questions on the exam that required analytical thinking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
a difficult task
a difficult time
a difficult subject
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of difficult
At the same time, to the extent that federal policy changes make the construction of additional renewable projects more difficult, VPPs are a way to make better use of clean energy resources that have already been built.
—
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Around 30 painters quit due to difficult working conditions, but replacements were hired.
—Cleo Krejci, jsonline.com, 7 Aug. 2025
No calendar issue generates more frustration, or is more difficult to solve, than the transfer portal.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025
Some students may face family challenges that affect their ability to get to school, and some changes to the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness test, such as its move to online instead of paper form, could be difficult for students who only access computers at school, Maldonado said.
—Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for difficult
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Around 30 painters quit due to difficult working conditions, but replacements were hired.
—Cleo Krejci, jsonline.com, 7 Aug. 2025
No calendar issue generates more frustration, or is more difficult to solve, than the transfer portal.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025
Some students may face family challenges that affect their ability to get to school, and some changes to the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness test, such as its move to online instead of paper form, could be difficult for students who only access computers at school, Maldonado said.
—Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for difficult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for difficult
Adjective
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Playing the raid with incredibly challenging modifiers gives you a chance at a Tier 4 Playing Trials of Osiris at anything under 400 power will not give you Tier 5s, even from a flawless chest, which now has a one per week lockout.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
2 Aug. 2025
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In life and the garden: Try to be tolerant, don’t demand perfection and figure out how to improve challenging, tough situations.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Lamont, who had proposed boosting special education aid by $40 million — but not until July 2026 — countered that the state budget already was on pace to exceed the budget cap and that legislators needed to make tough choices and trim spending.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
2 Aug. 2025
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Stage eight on Saturday will mark the start of a tough weekend of reckoning for the GC riders in the mountains to conclude the Tour.—
Jessica Hopkins,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.—
Alia Wong,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2023
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Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
13 Feb. 2023
Adjective
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Federated Learning: This privacy-preserving technique allows AI models to learn from decentralized data across games and platforms without compromising user privacy, enhancing moderation without centralizing sensitive data.—
Anees Ali Khan,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Not all acres are equal, of course, but there are myriad existing laws to protect areas that are sensitive for ecological, cultural, or other good reasons.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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These are not mutually exclusive endeavors: robust community input and rigorous supplier diversity goals can — and should — go hand in hand.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
4 Aug. 2025
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Global Recognition Awards, which processes thousands of nominations annually while maintaining a rigorous rejection rate, reports that its winners experience an average 40% increase in qualified leads within months of the award announcement.—
Ascend Agency,
Mercury News,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Federal courts in different circuits reaching conflicting interpretations of law has problematic implications that sometimes attract the attention, and willingness, of the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
3 Aug. 2025
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The sugar in fruit juice may also be problematic for some people with diabetes.—
Faye Chiu,
CNN Money,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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While speed-scouting for deer usually requires boots-on-the-ground, pheasant scouting isn’t usually so demanding.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
30 July 2025
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The short schedule also gave Brie and Franco the inspiration to throw themselves into the more physically demanding aspects of the roles.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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The Singer Sisters is a totally fresh and original rock & roll saga of a family full of formidable, creative, unforgettable women.—
Gabrielle Bellot,
Literary Hub,
1 Aug. 2025
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Minnesota Twins – Faced with formidable financial worries, the former home of Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, Rod Carew, and Jim Kaat spent the deadline dumping salaries.—
Dan Schlossberg,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Difficult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/difficult. Accessed 14 Aug. 2025.
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