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
Example 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
But as these researchers are the first to admit, the difficulty of defining intelligence is as old as the study of thinking itself—and has plagued artificial intelligence as a field from its very earliest days.
—
Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
Fortunately, in business, such a conundrum’s difficulty is alleviated greatly by a flowchart maker.
—William Jones, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
The Bruins had difficulty entering the ball into Lauren Betts with the ball pressure Duke applied as well as the length of Toby Fournier and Delaney Thomas.
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
These will be Dion’s inaugural performances since being diagnosed with stiff person syndrome—a rare, incurable neurological disorder that causes spasms and other physical difficulties—in 2022.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for difficulty
Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
Fortunately, in business, such a conundrum’s difficulty is alleviated greatly by a flowchart maker.
—William Jones, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
The Bruins had difficulty entering the ball into Lauren Betts with the ball pressure Duke applied as well as the length of Toby Fournier and Delaney Thomas.
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
These will be Dion’s inaugural performances since being diagnosed with stiff person syndrome—a rare, incurable neurological disorder that causes spasms and other physical difficulties—in 2022.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for difficulty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for difficulty
Noun
-
To date, the Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation has raised more than $610,000, providing grants, scholarships, and financial support to more than 230 local food and beverage professionals during times of hardship.—
Lauren Crawford,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Those who qualify for a hardship deferment include people receiving certain types of federal or state aid and anyone volunteering in the Peace Corps, Kantrowitz said.—
Kamaron McNair,Annie Nova,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The cast’s sole survivor is Jessica Hecht, who pours miraculous warmth and complexity into her faintly insulting role as Colleen, the head teller, a morally upright spinster goosed by her flirtation with Sonny and the spotlight.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
-
From the beginning, the emphasis centered on preparation, consistency, and respect for the emotional complexity that accompanies divorce and custody matters.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Thanks to its modular and distinctly unmilitary design, the U-2 fit the bill and sidestepped the Air Force's objections when the command of the operation went to the CIA.—
David Szondy
March 29,
New Atlas,
29 Mar. 2026
-
As long as dogs are well cared for, there shouldn’t be any objection.—
Ed Sayres,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Fundraising for the project through private donations also drew controversy.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The controversy surrounding the North Natomas micro-community comes amid a heated re-election campaign for Councilmember Lisa Kaplan, who represents the area.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Part of that planning includes working through real-world complications, such as major construction projects that impact affect evacuations.—
Spencer Wilson,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Researchers found no link between GLP-1 exposure before or early in pregnancy and major birth defects or fetal complications.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The exception, of course, is the oil companies that get a free ride off the hostilities.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Unfortunately, Ingersoll Rand is an exception in offering equity to all employees.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
NewJeans, one of the most exciting and innovative recent K-pop groups, has been largely inactive since 2024 due to a baroque legal dispute with the HYBE subsidiary ADOR.—
Mitch Therieau,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Last month, Boulee directed Fulton County and the Justice Department to mediate the dispute instead of going to court, but that mediation failed, Boulee said, resulting in Friday's hearing.—
Jacob Rosen,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Lack of communication from airlines during disruptions is a major complaint from customers across carriers, and anything companies can do to alleviate that will help with those frustrations.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Sinagra said that Brooksby resigned as a consequence of the complaints, but disagreed with them.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Difficulty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/difficulty. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
