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
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Recent Examples of difficulty
Hydropower dams are highly suitable for floating solar projects but present engineering difficulties due to significant variations in water height.
—
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
She's discussed the difficulty of getting teens to talk to parents and some of the challenges of raising teen boys.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 7 Oct. 2025
Health problems caused by ozone may include coughing, difficulty breathing, and inflamed and damaged airways, according to the agency.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
The longtime couple and cohosting pair, who've been married since 1996, discussed the difficulties of setting up their friends on dates during their opening host chat.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for difficulty
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
She's discussed the difficulty of getting teens to talk to parents and some of the challenges of raising teen boys.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 7 Oct. 2025
Health problems caused by ozone may include coughing, difficulty breathing, and inflamed and damaged airways, according to the agency.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
The longtime couple and cohosting pair, who've been married since 1996, discussed the difficulties of setting up their friends on dates during their opening host chat.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for difficulty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for difficulty
Noun
-
Birth parents frequently cite financial hardship as one of their primary reasons for choosing adoption.—
Nicole Chung,
The Atlantic,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Then there are those who confront similarly harsh experiences, yet manage to stay on the path of light—and even draw lessons from their hardships to make future audiences laugh.—
Essence,
Essence,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In fact, the most effective workforce-ready graduates are those who can think critically, communicate effectively, and adapt to complexity.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Respondents named cost, supply chain complexity and lack of expertise or capacity as the top three barriers for traceability.—
Sarah Jones,
Sourcing Journal,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
And by Tuesday afternoon, Texas National Guard troops had arrived at a training center outside of Chicago — despite the vehement objections of local leaders, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
7 Oct. 2025
-
But these objections miss the point.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The controversy erupted when her fans, famously known as Swifties, found clues of AI usage in the twelve videos that housed the clues to the final puzzle.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
-
After the Bud Light ad campaign ran and online controversy began, Bryan posted on X condemning transphobia.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
After excluding visits for VOC complicated by other diagnoses that necessitated an ESI 2 and visits for other acute sickle cell disease complications, the study included 66 ED visits by 41 patients.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
-
It is well documented that maternal mental health is the primary complication associated with childbirth and one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in the United States.—
Catherine Birndorf,
Scientific American,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The previous head-coaching exception window was 30 days which began the day after the coaching change.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Fortunately, this one from Kate Spade is the exception.—
Melanie Fincher,
Southern Living,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Palladinos departed after Season 6 due to contract disputes with WB, and David Rosenthal stepped in as showrunner and head writer.—
Anna Tingley,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The dispute occurred during a hearing on a Republican bill to ban public funds for health care for undocumented immigrants.—
Jessie Opoien,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Kidman's complaint, obtained by The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network, confirmed the two are living in separate Nashville homes.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The grand jury indictment supersedes the criminal complaint and allows the criminal case to skip the preliminary hearing phase and move toward a trial.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Difficulty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/difficulty. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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