difficult

adjective

dif·​fi·​cult ˈdi-fi-(ˌ)kəlt 

1

: hard to do, make, or carry out : arduous

a difficult climb

2

a

: hard to deal with, manage, or overcome

was in a difficult position

Why must you be so difficult?

having a difficult time coping with her death

b

: hard to understand : puzzling

difficult reading

found calculus too difficult

difficultly adverb

Synonyms of difficult

• challenging
• tough
• hard
• rigorous
• demanding
• formidable
• complicated

Choose the Right Synonym for difficult

hard, difficult, arduous mean demanding great exertion or effort.

hard implies the opposite of all that is easy.

farming is hard work

difficult implies the presence of obstacles to be surmounted or puzzles to be resolved and suggests the need of skill or courage.

the difficult ascent of the mountain

arduous stresses the need of laborious and persevering exertion.

the arduous task of rebuilding

Examples of difficult in a Sentence

We were asked lots of difficult questions.

I had to make a very difficult decision.

We'll be hiking over difficult terrain.

It's more difficult than it sounds.

I found myself in a difficult position.

Some difficult days lie ahead of us.

These changes will make life difficult for everyone involved.

Recent Examples on the Web

Officers can use voice commands, and if those don’t work options include pepper spray, a baton, a TASER or fire extinguisher, though some are more difficult to use on a fast-moving animal, the directive says. —Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026

The drugs brought on psychotic episodes that were destructive, and when his son was about 20, the family made the difficult decision to ask Sean to leave the house. —Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 20 June 2026

Getting to his graduation in May would be difficult. —Steve Hartman, CBS News, 20 June 2026

During a difficult meeting, notice the tension in your jaw before responding. —Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, probably back-formation from difficulte difficulty

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

difficult

adjective

dif·​fi·​cult ˈdif-i-(ˌ)kəlt 

1

: hard to do, make, or carry out

a difficult climb

2

a

: hard to deal with, manage, or overcome

a difficult child

b

: hard to understand : puzzling

difficult reading

difficultly adverb