difficulties

noun

plural of difficulty
1
as in hardships
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

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2
as in complications
something that makes a situation more complicated or difficult there was a minor difficulty when we realized that the store had already closed

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3
as in objections
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?

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in controversies
variance of opinion on a matter the theologian's ongoing difficulties with the Vatican

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of difficulties If stress itself is taken as evidence that a relationship is unhealthy, the normal difficulties of human interaction begin to look pathological. — David H. Rosmarin, Time, 29 Aug. 2026 Summary Nigeria will rejoin FTSE Russell's frontier market equity indexes on September 21, reversing its 2023 removal due to foreign exchange repatriation difficulties. — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Yet language barriers, difficulties integrating into Japanese society and differences in business and social culture caused issues, advisers said. — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 The research team identified opportunities to improve the atomic layer etching (ALE) approach, which offers significant advantages over the conventional methods but was plagued by difficulties for practical use. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026 The drone in question was powered by a Nvidia minicomputer not sold in Russia but available through resale markets, highlighting the difficulties in denying tech to US adversaries. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 24 Aug. 2026 While the state has many unfilled jobs in various categories, there are difficulties in hiring in some professions, leading to high amounts of overtime in the Connecticut state budget, officials said. — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026 People talking about the appeal of democratic socialism talk about the language of affordability and the difficulties of working-class people. — John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026 Community discussions about it intensified after Timothy Ray Brown — the first person documented to be cured of HIV — later faced housing difficulties. — Jeff Berry, STAT, 21 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for difficulties
  1. hardships
  2. complications
  3. objections
  4. controversies
  5. complexities
  6. exceptions
  7. disputes
  8. complaints
Noun
  • Miley told People at the time that music is how the two have always stayed bonded, even amid family hardships.
    — Zack Sharf, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The shortages are adding to the hardships of those living in temporary shelters after having lost homes and belongings.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of hardships
Noun
  • While the investigation continues, the sardine deaths have caused other complications.
    — Michelle Gumede, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
  • There were also legal complications over the film rights until Schwarzenegger convinced Carolco Pictures, the studio behind Total Recall (1990), to buy everyone out and hire Cameron to make Judgment Day.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of complications
Noun
  • Bessent's remarks came as Siluanov's first in-person appearance at the summit since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 drew objections from other European leaders.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Recently, Capifali helped guide the Johnson administration through a tiff with aldermen who legalized video gambling terminals over the mayor’s objections.
    — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of objections
Noun
  • And the other is that paper receipts are a ~$5B business, complete with their own lobby groups and health controversies.
    — HubSpot, HubSpot, 1 Sep. 2026
  • There are several films that can start controversies or, at the very least, provoke very strong political reactions.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of controversies
Noun
  • If physical gestures serve our relatives just fine, why did our own branch of the family tree gradually favor biological changes in our brains and anatomy that permitted our characteristic complexities in language and precision in speech?
    — Mike McRae September 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Commercial property management is its own profession with its own language, priorities, financial drivers and legal complexities.
    — David Crown, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of complexities
Noun
  • The law includes several exceptions, including certain vehicles, medical devices and other equipment.
    — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The rules generally require a residential site to have at least 200 feet of water frontage on Biscayne Bay, with specific exceptions for some existing lots.
    — Luisa Yanez Updated September 3, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of exceptions
Noun
  • Miller has previously been at the center of ABS disputes while serving as crew chief for Reds games.
    — Chantz Martin OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • An e-bike ban at Newport Beach schools has sparked disputes between students and neighbors over kids parking in their neighborhoods.
    — Michele Gile, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of disputes
Noun
  • Latinos Aventureros Co-Founder Sandra Salazar said complaints about trash at Wilson Creek since Hurricane Helene created friction in the area.
    — Lily Knoepp, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026
  • In lieu of bigger changes that could reduce noise complaints, many hotels now routinely hand out earplugs and eye masks.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of complaints

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Cite this Entry

“Difficulties.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/difficulties. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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