Definition

1. Noun:
   • The quality or state of being hard to do, understand, or deal with: "Difficulty" refers to the fact of something not being easy, requiring effort or skill.
   • A problem or obstacle that makes something hard to achieve: "Difficulty" can be a specific thing that causes trouble or stands in the way of success.
   • A state of hardship or trouble, often involving a lack of money or resources: "Difficulty" can describe a challenging situation or condition of life.
   • Great effort or inconvenience required to do something: "Difficulty" can refer to the exertion or struggle involved in an action.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • They discussed the difficulty of the task. (The challenge level of the task was discussed.)
  • The company is facing financial difficulties. (The company is experiencing monetary problems.)
  • She had great difficulty understanding the instructions. (She found it very hard to understand the instructions.)
  • He completed the climb, but only with difficulty. (He finished the climb, but it required a lot of effort.)

Advanced Usage

• "To have difficulty (in) doing something": To find it hard to perform a specific action.
  • He has difficulty walking without a cane.
• "To make/raise difficulties": To create objections or problems, often unnecessarily.
  • The committee raised difficulties about the proposed budget.
• "To be in difficulties": To be in a problematic or financially troubled situation.
  • After the market crash, many investors found themselves in difficulties.

Variants and Related Words

• Difficult (adj): Hard to do, understand, or deal with.
  • It was a difficult decision to make.
• Difficultly (adv, rare): In a difficult manner. (Note: The more common adverb is "with difficulty".)

Synonyms

• Problem: A matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with.
• Hardship: Severe suffering or privation.
• Struggle: A forceful or violent effort to get free of restraint or resist attack.
• Obstacle: A thing that blocks one's way or prevents or hinders progress.

Related Phrases

• With great difficulty: Requiring a very large amount of effort.
  • The message was sent with great difficulty.
• Without difficulty: Easily; with no trouble.
  • She solved the puzzle without difficulty.

Idioms

• Get/run into difficulties: To encounter problems.
  • The project got into difficulties when the main supplier went bankrupt.
• Difficulty level: The degree of challenge in a task, game, or test.
  • Please set the game to a higher difficulty level.

Noun

1. the quality of being difficult
   • they agreed about the difficulty of the climb
2. a condition or state of affairs almost beyond one's ability to deal with and requiring great effort to bear or overcome
   • grappling with financial difficulties
3. a factor causing trouble in achieving a positive result or tending to produce a negative result
   • serious difficulties were encountered in obtaining a pure reagent
4. an effort that is inconvenient
   • I went to a lot of trouble
   • he won without any trouble
   • had difficulty walking
   • finished the test only with great difficulty