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
The center’s last several years have seen many unforeseen difficulties, Kostecki said.
—
Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
The ordeal left Conley permanently disabled, suffering from weakness on the right side of her body and speech difficulties.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
Roseberry’s presence points to a difficulty.
—Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
Beyond the difficulties individual workers now face, the South Florida economy is expected to take a hit.
—Miami Herald, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for difficulty
Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
The ordeal left Conley permanently disabled, suffering from weakness on the right side of her body and speech difficulties.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
Roseberry’s presence points to a difficulty.
—Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
Beyond the difficulties individual workers now face, the South Florida economy is expected to take a hit.
—Miami Herald, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for difficulty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for difficulty
Noun
-
Amanda and Cory also sought to lower Cory's child support payments to Aletta for Jessa, citing Amanda's medical expenses in court documents as a financial hardship.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
-
Aubrey Griffin also logged her first WNBA minutes Friday after a whirlwind few days that ended in her signing a hardship contract with New York the morning of her debut.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Miralot is also helping film students to better grasp the complexities of the international festival circuit, says Steve Reverand, co-director of the Prague Film School in the Czech Republic.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
13 May 2026
-
The complexity of your record-keeping Depending on your record keeping and business model, digital alternatives to adding machines may better suit your needs.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
Noun
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There were also objections from bigger carriers such as United, which had an urgent financial interest in seeing the back of a pesky cheap competitor.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
As for your wife’s objection, Miss Manners will point out that good manners need not mean being bulldozed by others.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Since the controversies erupted, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been engaged in discussions, including leaders of the Democratic Women's Caucus and the Republican Women's Caucus.—
Nikole Killion,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
-
Was that a conscious decision after the controversy surrounding past tweets that made some people see you as a villain during the Emilia Pérez Oscar campaign?—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also reported new hantavirus cases in Spain and France, drawing attention to the rare but potentially severe disease, which can cause serious respiratory complications in humans.—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
-
The device could also diagnose sleep disorders without bulky la equipment, monitor mental health conditions over time, and sense early signs of medical complications, the university said.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Sure, there's a good case to be made that the 2027 total solar eclipse is the exception to this rule purely because of the extreme length of totality.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
10 May 2026
-
With the exception of our executive editor, the members of our editorial board are not news reporters or editors.—
Teagan Davidge,
Oc Register,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
When Magyar emerged as an opposition figure, their disputes became a recurring story in the tabloids.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
The dispute, which has spanned three mayoral administrations going back to at least 2021, has now hit a breaking point.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
This policy was created in response to business complaints and safety concerns regarding disruptive behavior.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
The children were allegedly being abducted to be taken to their native Yemen, the outlets reported, citing prosecutors and felony complaints.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Difficulty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/difficulty. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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