difficulty

noun

dif·​fi·​cul·​ty ˈdi-fi-(ˌ)kəl-tē How to pronounce difficulty (audio)
plural difficulties
Synonyms of difficultynext
1
: the quality or state of being hard to do, deal with, or understand : the quality or state of being difficult
underestimated the difficulty of the task
couldn't breathe without difficulty
has difficulty reading
climbs stairs with difficulty
2
: something that is not easy to do or deal with
had to overcome many difficulties in life
having financial difficulties
3
: controversy, disagreement
unable to resolve their difficulties
4
: objection
made no difficulty in granting the request

Synonyms of difficulty

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Examples of difficulty in a Sentence

She underestimated the difficulty of saving so much money. the many difficulties that he encountered on the road from poor orphan to head of a major corporation
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Even if consumers have difficulty discerning chemicals in flossing products, the environmental scientist encourages people not to stop flossing. — Margaret Hetherman The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026 In 2003, however, Kember made a splash with Forged Prescriptions, a re-release that favored fuller mixes and extra overdubs which the band had jettisoned owing to the difficulty of reproducing them. — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026 The Connecticut Business and Industry Association’s annual business survey, released in September, found that some 72% of respondents reported having difficulty finding and retaining workers, with skill gaps being a notable part of the problem. — P.r. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026 Revamping a historic building with unique architecture has posed some difficulties, said Karademas. — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for difficulty

Word History

Etymology

Middle English difficulte, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French difficulté, borrowed from Latin difficultāt-, difficultās, from difficilis "hard to do, troublesome, intractable" (from dif-, probably assimilated form of dis- dis- + facilis "easy, accommodating") + -tāt-, -tās -ty — more at facile

Note: Latin difficultās presumably goes back to *dis-fakli-tāts and follows the same path as the base word, from *faklitāts to attested facultās (see faculty), with regular vowel weakening in a non-initial syllable. The word difficilis is derivationally peculiar, as the prefix dis- is regularly applied only to verbs and is not primarily privative—the expected negative counterpart to facilis should have been *infacilis. It has been hypothesized that dis- in this case is a permutation of *dus-, corresponding to Greek dys- "bad, ill" (see dys-; *dus- is otherwise unattested in Latin), or that difficilis is modeled on dissimilis "unlike" (see dissimilar; the adjective similis "like" takes a range of ordinarily verbal prefixes, perhaps following Greek equivalents). Neither solution is entirely satisfactory.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of difficulty was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing difficulty

Browse Nearby Words

difficultness
difficulty
diffidation
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Difficulty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/difficulty. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

difficulty

noun
dif·​fi·​cul·​ty ˈdif-ə-(ˌ)kəl-tē How to pronounce difficulty (audio)
plural difficulties
1
: difficult nature
the difficulty of a task
2
: great effort
walked with difficulty
3
: something that is hard to do : obstacle
overcome difficulties
4
: a difficult or trying situation : trouble
in financial difficulties
5
: a disagreement in opinion
we ironed out our difficulties
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