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
That was the biggest difficulty.
—
Paul Taylor, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
Reviewers praise its atmospheric setting and rich world-building, but some criticised its punishing difficulty.
—Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
How to value Klarna The difficulty with valuing Klarna is that 2025 is a very different time compared with the heyday of low-fee fintech services.
—Ryan Browne, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
Particularly the families and the winners who have faced unbelievable challenges and difficulties and overcome those odds often behind closed doors.
—Simon Perry, People.com, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for difficulty
Paul Taylor, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
Reviewers praise its atmospheric setting and rich world-building, but some criticised its punishing difficulty.
—Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
How to value Klarna The difficulty with valuing Klarna is that 2025 is a very different time compared with the heyday of low-fee fintech services.
—Ryan Browne, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
Particularly the families and the winners who have faced unbelievable challenges and difficulties and overcome those odds often behind closed doors.
—Simon Perry, People.com, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for difficulty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for difficulty
Noun
-
National data show that Native students face disproportionate barriers in higher education, including financial hardship, geographic isolation, and cultural alienation at mainstream institutions.—
Marybeth Gasman,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Meanwhile, Keating faced her own share of hardship.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Liquidity issue The push for retail involvement in private markets has nonetheless raised questions over whether everyday investors are equipped to take on the complexity and risk involved in the space, including the likely lack of ability to access their capital or returns for significant periods.—
Jenni Reid,Ganesh Rao,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The victim appears to have been dead for some time, adding to the complexity of the investigation, which is in its very early stages, the sources said.—
Alex Stone,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The objections that stopped earlier attempts are now dissolving.—
Sandy Peng,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Libraries received only 12 formal objections since 2021 Changes brought by the supervisors' stand in contrast to how library administrators historically have dealt with book objections.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But Brown became entangled in a controversy of her own this spring when she was indicted alongside her two adult daughters on charges of wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud used to falsely obtain pandemic relief loans.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
-
While some among Democrats cast him as the party’s national leader and a natural choice for their 2028 nominee, conservative critics point to his past controversies, including other pay-for-play stories.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Another couple, Taylor and Bryan McClain, also came to rely on Soliman when their newborn, Violette, arrived at Cincinnati Children’s last year with life-threatening complications.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Armani was an intensely private man but had a longstanding personal relationship with his business partner, the architect, fashion designer and businessman Sergio Galeotti, who died of complications from AIDS in 1985.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The only exception was the 2019 AFCON quarter-final, when Troost-Ekong struck an 89th-minute winner for the Super Eagles.—
Sindiswa Mabunda,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The sole exception to the rule of the total privacy of color experience can be found in the television of the Gilligan’s Island era.—
Scott Stossel,
The Atlantic,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Nearly a year after being removed from Lincoln Heights' village council over a tax dispute, a leading community activist has had his seat restored by a state appeals court.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Sep. 2025
-
How the courts and legislatures balance the rights of the majority and minority in these disputes over the place of the Ten Commandments in public life may go a long way toward shaping the future of religious freedom in American public education.—
Lydia Artz,
The Conversation,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But a butt dial revealed the truth about what actually happened, the complaint alleges.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The site provides links to 14 private and government groups that accept and act on complaints, including the FBI, the Better Business Bureau, the Social Security Administration, AARP, the SEC, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Difficulty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/difficulty. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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