Main Entry:

dif·fi·cult

Pronunciation:

\ˈdi-fi-(ˌ)kəlt\

Function:

adjective

Etymology:

Middle English, back-formation from difficulty

Date:

14th century

1: hard to do, make, or carry out : arduous <a difficult climb>2 a: hard to deal with, manage, or overcome <a difficult child> b: hard to understand : puzzling <difficult reading>

synonyms see hard

— dif·fi·cult·ly adverb