Synonyms of difficult

difficult

adjective

ˈdi-fi-(ˌ)kəlt 

1

as in challenging

requiring considerable physical or mental effort

difficult questions on the exam that required analytical thinking

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• simple
• manageable
• straightforward
• uncomplicated
• painless
• effortless
• unproblematic
• undemanding

Try This Instead

For

Try This

a difficult task

a complicated task

a formidable task

a daunting task

an enormous task

a challenging task

a difficult time

a hard time

a stressful time

a frustrating time

a tough time

a troubled time

a difficult subject

an uncomfortable subject

a tricky subject

a delicate subject

a painful subject

a sensitive subject

Synonym Chooser

How is the word difficult different from other adjectives like it?

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

When would arduous be a good substitute for difficult?

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

the arduous task of rebuilding

When could hard be used to replace difficult?

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of difficult

Clematis wilt is a fungal infection that is difficult to treat. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 3 May 2025

Red Clay takes place in 2003 and will reportedly focus on a teenager named Nook who experiences a difficult upbringing due to his mother’s drug habits. —Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 2 May 2025

Sullivan said there are many reasons that make testing difficult including people living in more rural areas where testing is limited, costs or people preferring to test at home. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 2 May 2025

The Whitecaps won games in Mexico, which is difficult to do. —Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2025