1
as in challenging
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
difficult questions on the exam that required analytical thinking
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of difficult
Yet Slot will know as well as anyone that negativity can be difficult to shift.
—
James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Additional resources, including helicopters, have arrived in Jamaica that will be used to deliver food and other aid to impacted communities that are difficult to reach, Dixon said.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Pregnancy is difficult to detect in ancient human remains, and scientists previously believed that the composition of hard tissues was so overwhelmingly inorganic that these proteins would not be preserved or detected, Barlow said.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
Yet doing so remains difficult in practice for most organizations.
—François Candelon, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for difficult
James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Additional resources, including helicopters, have arrived in Jamaica that will be used to deliver food and other aid to impacted communities that are difficult to reach, Dixon said.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Pregnancy is difficult to detect in ancient human remains, and scientists previously believed that the composition of hard tissues was so overwhelmingly inorganic that these proteins would not be preserved or detected, Barlow said.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
Yet doing so remains difficult in practice for most organizations.
—François Candelon, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for difficult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for difficult
Adjective
-
With launch costs extremely high, sending a large platform to orbit is challenging.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Their league schedule in the Southland Conference includes a challenging February road stretch through Texas, and non-conference begins with a high-profile matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Whether or not Takaichi's administration is as tough on immigration issues as her campaign rhetoric suggests, some observers warn that failing to actively invest in and integrate foreign nationals into society will have lasting harm on Asia’s second-largest economy.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Without a consolidation of that vote in the final stretch, Mamdani appears tough to beat.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Developed by scientists at TU Delft, the algorithm can help perform tasks at hard-to-reach infrastructure, like offshore wind turbines.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Creatures crawling out of gunk, their legs extending, their toe-webs rescinding, amoebic eyes getting harder.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Some people experience tactile allodynia, which happens when the central nervous system becomes extra sensitive to things that touch your skin.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Still, employees have also been left wondering why the moves needed to take place when so many employees remained furloughed and unaware of how sensitive hardware was being handled.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
All in all, even a moderate approach was like 12-hours of rigorous cardio.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
2 Nov. 2025
-
His label pioneered the industry’s intensive training system, recruiting performers as young as elementary school age and putting them through years of rigorous preparation.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The show leans into this offensive, problematic plot device without any self-awareness.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
-
However, others didn't find the ad too problematic.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Under coach Reggie Theus, the Wildcats will face a demanding non‑conference slate that includes road games against power programs like Auburn Tigers and Miami Hurricanes.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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These roles can be physically demanding, and you will be expected to stand for long periods, lift moderate weights and move quickly in busy situations.—
Kathy Kristof,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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So rather than shy away from complicated female roles, Falco embraces them.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Oct. 2025
-
If an app is too complicated, people won’t use it.—
Rebecca Lazar,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Difficult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/difficult. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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