Synonyms of difficult

difficult

adjective

ˈdi-fi-(ˌ)kəlt 

1

as in challenging

requiring considerable physical or mental effort

difficult questions on the exam that required analytical thinking

Synonyms & Similar Words

• challenging
• tough
• hard
• rigorous
• demanding
• formidable
• complicated
• heavy
• rough
• effortful
• arduous
• rugged
• severe
• painful
• strenuous
• exhausting
• tall
• laborious
• sweaty
• uphill
• complex
• testing
• grueling
• intricate
• herculean
• problematic
• exacting
• backbreaking
• toilsome
• killer
• murderous
• serious
• stiff
• tricky
• annoying
• elusive
• stressful
• involved
• trying
• troublesome
• hellacious
• pick-and-shovel
• stubborn
• grim
• brutal
• onerous
• tight
• burdensome
• thorny
• oppressive
• abstract
• moiling
• insoluble
• abstruse
• opaque
• irksome
• Augean
• bruising
• hairy
• bothersome
• recondite
• ticklish
• labored
• strict
• knotty
• vexatious
• distressing
• cruel
• spiny
• stringent
• taxing
• grievous
• inhuman

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• simple
• light
• soft
• cheap
• effortless
• clear
• undemanding
• facile
• manageable
• elementary
• mindless
• doable
• achievable
• uncomplicated
• smooth
• gentle
• comforting
• painless
• soothing
• relaxed
• accessible
• friendly
• user-friendly
• idiotproof

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tough
• sensitive
• problematic
• complicated
• tricky
• hard
• sticky
• delicate
• problem
• complex
• painful
• thorny
• serious
• touchy
• nasty
• hairy
• ticklish
• knotty
• catchy
• dodgy
• spiny
• prickly
• tricksy
• troublesome
• intricate
• involved
• vexing
• abstruse
• abstract
• stressful
• stubborn
• recondite
• inconvenient
• worrisome
• vexatious
• onerous
• burdensome
• demanding
• troublous
• exhausting
• oppressive
• scabrous
• exacting
• importunate
• discommoding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• simple
• manageable
• straightforward
• uncomplicated
• painless
• effortless
• unproblematic
• undemanding

Synonym Chooser

How is the word difficult different from other adjectives like it?

The words arduous and hard are common synonyms of difficult. While all three words mean "demanding great exertion or effort," 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

When would arduous be a good substitute for difficult?

While in some cases nearly identical to difficult, arduous stresses the need of laborious and persevering exertion.

the arduous task of rebuilding

When could hard be used to replace difficult?

In some situations, the words hard and difficult are roughly equivalent. However, hard implies the opposite of all that is easy.

farming is hard work

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of difficult

Too aquatic for roads, yet too terrestrial for boats, boglands remain some of the most remote and difficult landscapes to access. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

Additionally, being sent into a very difficult client’s home without any preparation and/or proper training and support can create extreme frustration and a rapid decline in caregiver morale. — Colin Conner Ii, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

This is likely something Meghan and Harry considered before moving back, but that, according to reports, is proving difficult. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 16 Oct. 2026

Was there a scene that was as difficult as shooting at Georgia at halftime? — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026