difficulty
- 01 B1 Intermediate
the quality of being hard to do, understand, or deal with.
the state or quality of being difficult; the degree of effort required to complete a task.
Simple“The students had great difficulty understanding the complex grammar rules.”
In context“The climbers underestimated the difficulty of the ascent, finding that the final ridge required far more technical skill than the map suggested.”
Usageoften used uncountably with the verbs 'have' or 'find'.
PitfallI had a difficulty to finish the work. I had difficulty finishing the work.When using 'difficulty' as an uncountable noun for effort, follow it with a gerund (-ing form), not an infinitive.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
a problem or obstacle that makes it hard to achieve something.
a specific obstacle or problem that hinders progress or achievement.
Simple“We ran into several technical difficulties during the live broadcast.”
In context“Despite numerous bureaucratic difficulties, the charity successfully delivered the medical supplies to the remote mountain village.”
Usagecountable in this sense.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
a situation where you are in trouble, especially with money or safety.
a state of embarrassment, trouble, or distress, particularly regarding financial or physical circumstances.
Simple“The company is in financial difficulty and might have to close.”
In context“The coastguard was alerted when a small sailing vessel appeared to be in difficulty several miles off the rocky coast.”
Usageoften used in the phrase 'in difficulty' or 'in difficulties'.
Synonyms
Usage avoid difficulty · cause difficulty · considerable difficulty
From Middle English difficulte, from Middle French and Anglo-Norman difficulte and their etymon Latin difficultas, from difficul, older form of difficilis (“hard to do, difficult”), from dis- + facilis (“easy”); see difficile and difficult. Equivalent to dis- + facile + -ty. Also analysable as difficult + -y, though the adjective is historically a backformation from the noun.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.