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

These formulas have historically been difficult to formulate, can be customized to each infant's nutritional needs, and are also subject to errors. — Terdawn Deboe, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

The 17 passengers and crew who lived told investigators everyone survived the landing, but many passengers struggled to locate life vests and the crew had a difficult time pulling out life rafts. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026

Very difficult to fool, harder to stack and tough enough to play in the box, Moore is exactly what the NFL wants out of a corner in today’s game. — Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Lario stressed that hunger and conflict often reinforce one another, creating a cycle that is difficult to break without greater stability. — ABC News, 21 July 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