# difficulty

/ˈdɪfəkəɫti/ (US) · /dˈɪfɪkˌʌlti/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/difficulty
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. being hard to do

noun · CEFR B1

the quality of being hard to do, understand, or deal with.

For teachers: the state or quality of being difficult; the degree of effort required to complete a task.

- The students had great difficulty understanding the complex grammar rules.
- The climbers underestimated the difficulty of the ascent, finding that the final ridge required far more technical skill than the map suggested.

Usage: often used uncountably with the verbs 'have' or 'find'.

### 2. a specific problem

noun · CEFR B1

a problem or obstacle that makes it hard to achieve something.

For teachers: a specific obstacle or problem that hinders progress or achievement.

- We ran into several technical difficulties during the live broadcast.
- Despite numerous bureaucratic difficulties, the charity successfully delivered the medical supplies to the remote mountain village.

Usage: countable in this sense.

### 3. trouble or danger

noun · CEFR B2

a situation where you are in trouble, especially with money or safety.

For teachers: a state of embarrassment, trouble, or distress, particularly regarding financial or physical circumstances.

- The company is in financial difficulty and might have to close.
- The coastguard was alerted when a small sailing vessel appeared to be in difficulty several miles off the rocky coast.

Usage: often used in the phrase 'in difficulty' or 'in difficulties'.

## Examples

- The students finished the test despite its high level of difficulty.
- He had great difficulty finding a parking space in the crowded city center on a Saturday morning.
- The inherent difficulty of translating poetry lies in the need to preserve both the literal meaning and the rhythmic structure of the original text.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.