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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of difficult
The bad news is this has always been a difficult job located in an area that isn’t rich with talent.
—
Chris Vannini, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
These conditions make travel difficult.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2025
But that was a really difficult day.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 18 Oct. 2025
Please respect the privacy of the family during this difficult time of recovery.
—Emily Trainham, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for difficult
Chris Vannini, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
These conditions make travel difficult.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2025
But that was a really difficult day.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 18 Oct. 2025
Please respect the privacy of the family during this difficult time of recovery.
—Emily Trainham, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for difficult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for difficult
Adjective
-
The stalemate over funding in Washington comes at a challenging time for the more than 40 million Americans carrying education debt.—
Annie Nova,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
-
According to construction manager John Kearns, the oceans swells became too challenging, moving the barge too much for the crane to operate safely.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Falcons' offense has emerged as one of the toughest in the league, causing multiple turnovers a game.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Oct. 2025
-
How self-reflection operates matters because it will always be needed to make wiser choices about our toughest challenges.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Peyton Manning had a night in San Diego that remains hard to wrap one’s head around.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
-
But while prosecutors and law enforcement continue doing the hard work of keeping Orange County safe, the County CEO appears intent on undermining that success.—
Todd Spitzer,
Oc Register,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This allows users to benefit from AI acceleration without exposing sensitive information.—
Ni Tao,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Teens will need to allow their parents access and provide them with a time-sensitive QR code to complete activation.—
Alex Vance,
Parents,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Unlike psychiatric or weight-loss drugs, finasteride's cosmetic classification may have shielded it from rigorous post-marketing scrutiny.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Every credit card list is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products.—
Ryley Amond,
CNBC,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This lack of representation is problematic for people of different ancestries because genetic risk factors differ across populations.—
Rachel Nuwer,
Scientific American,
14 Oct. 2025
-
As good as Oakley is, Trigg is on another tier and could prove problematic in the middle of the field.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
As the founder and CEO of Shondaland – a media empire behind hits like Scandal, Inventing Anna Bridgerton and more – Rhimes balances intense storytelling with the equally demanding role of being a mother of three.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
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Thank you for your demanding, lyrical, and sensual body of work, and for your fidelity to the light itself.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Starters Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Ohtani make up one of the most formidable playoff rotations in recent memory and their lineup with Ohtani at the top followed by stars like Mookie Betts, Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez and a slew of others.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
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Edouard Langlois, a formidable dark-bearded gentleman, was the artistic director of the local Edwin Booth Theatre.—
Robert Eggers,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Difficult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/difficult. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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