1
as in hardship
something that is a cause for suffering or special effort especially in the attainment of a goal
the many difficulties that he encountered on the road from poor orphan to head of a major corporation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in complexity
something that makes a situation more complicated or difficult
there was a minor difficulty when we realized that the store had already closed
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in objection
a feeling or declaration of disapproval or dissent
the only difficulty I have with the dress is its color—does it come in anything besides purple?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in controversy
variance of opinion on a matter
the theologian's ongoing difficulties with the Vatican
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of difficulty
One reason is having difficulty passing a bowel movement due to constipation.
—
Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 18 Jan. 2025
Capping tournament entries naturally limits the number of ranking points teenagers can earn in a year, which also adds difficulty to breaking into the top 100.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 18 Jan. 2025
But for premature babies, infants younger than 6 months, and those with heart or lung issues, RSV can cause severe illnesses, including breathing difficulties, that require hospitalization.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 17 Jan. 2025
There’s always tensions, there’s always difficulties.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for difficulty 
Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 18 Jan. 2025
Capping tournament entries naturally limits the number of ranking points teenagers can earn in a year, which also adds difficulty to breaking into the top 100.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 18 Jan. 2025
But for premature babies, infants younger than 6 months, and those with heart or lung issues, RSV can cause severe illnesses, including breathing difficulties, that require hospitalization.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 17 Jan. 2025
There’s always tensions, there’s always difficulties.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for difficulty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for difficulty
Noun
-
During her detention, Sala endured significant hardships.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
20 Jan. 2025
-
Despite suffering from physical and emotional hardship, Kahlo became a feminist icon, known for her unapologetic approach to body image and her vivid use of color.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
There were also financial dynamics that added complexity to the pursuits.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2025
-
When a system fails you—when your taxes go up, when your claim is denied, when your hydrants run dry—the complexity of the system is no consolation.—
Joshua Rothman,
The New Yorker,
14 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Despite Magnus’ vehement objections, Agnes accepts an invitation from true crime podcaster Nora Carver to travel to Bifröst to discuss the murders on the anniversary.—
Oline H. Cogdill,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2025
-
This pressure reportedly allowed Witkoff to lean on the notoriously tough and canny Benjamin Netanyahu during talks and compel the Israeli prime minister to agree to a deal despite objections.—
Keir Simmons,
NBC News,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Now, Corbet has weighed in on the controversy himself in a statement to Deadline.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
20 Jan. 2025
-
Their belief in that, and a conservative media buoying his message, helped insulate him from the kind of consequences that have sunk most other politicians following controversy and misdeeds.—
Domenico Montanaro,
NPR,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Keep reading for more of Us’ top stories: Mandy Moore and Busy Philipps are among the stars mourning the loss of influencer Rebecca Wylie Simms, who died at age 39 following complications from surgery.—
Meredith Nardino,
Miami Herald,
21 Jan. 2025
-
And those minutes could be rife with further complications.—
Eric Nehm,
The Athletic,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Cohen is obviously fully on board with Stearns’ philosophy of limiting free agent deals to three years or fewer (the Soto contract of course being the notable exception).—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
18 Jan. 2025
-
As part of the agreement, GM will obtain affirmative customer consent to collect, use, or disclose certain types of connected vehicle data (with exceptions for certain purposes).—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
City officials did not say what set off the dispute.—
Deon J. Hampton,
NBC News,
17 Jan. 2025
-
Campbell, who sat out the previous installment due to a salary dispute, is on board for the new feature to focus on her character, Sidney Prescott, and her daughter.—
Etan Vlessing,
The Hollywood Reporter,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
For its part, Walgreens has not filed a legal answer to the complaint yet, but did issue a short response denying any wrongdoing.—
Steve Weisman,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
-
At first, the school board reacted to the complaints by saying parents could have their children excused from the class when the new textbooks were being used or discussed.—
David G. Savage,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near difficulty
Cite this Entry
“Difficulty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/difficulty. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share