DIFFICULTY Synonyms: 164 Similar and Opposite Words

difficulty

noun

ˈdi-fi-(ˌ)kəl-tē

Definition of difficulty

as in hardship

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in complexity

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in objection

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?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in controversy

variance of opinion on a matter the theologian's ongoing difficulties with the Vatican

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 difficulty As circuits got larger, the difficulty of the interconnective task increased exponentially. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 OpenAI said developers and enterprise customers had reported difficulties getting coding models to work reliably with these older languages. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 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 See All Example Sentences for difficulty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for difficulty

Noun

But they were seen as adding undue hardships to people who rely heavily on the care.

— Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
In doing so, the report adds new data to a growing pile of information about poverty and economic hardship in the state, showing that even before some of the upcoming federal benefit cuts take effect, a growing number of households are struggling.

— P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of hardship

Noun

The complexity of the facade work will require detailed planning and coordination, and compliance with historic preservation requirements, the hotel says.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Due to the complexity of the production, the crows were digitally designed, while Prue and Mac were practical handmade puppets.

— Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of complexity

Noun

However, he was removed from the 2022 ballot after an Illinois election board upheld an objection to his campaign.

— Elena Tittel, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
The council said its objection is in response to Bocelli’s past support for Israel, including his participation in a 2010 fundraiser in Los Angeles for the Israel Defense Forces and a 2022 concert in Tel Aviv.

— Niniek Karmini, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of objection

Noun

The new concealer was originally launched as the Wide Awake Brightening Concealer alongside the Wide Awake Brightening Neutralizer, but ran into controversy just days after launch.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 16 Oct. 2026
CoreWeave’s vast debt pile has been the subject of controversy in the past.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of controversy

Noun

But because of complications in the delivery room, both women gave birth via caesarean section.

— Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Oct. 2026
The program provides grants to states, academic institutions and non-profit organizations to gather data on the disease, complications and treatment.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of complication

Noun

Where Brown has a point is that teams are using the full mid-level exception (MLE) less frequently under the current CBA.

— Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 15 Oct. 2026
The measure extends those protections to public ways within 1,000 feet of court facilities, while preserving an exception for arrests made under a valid judicial warrant.

— Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of exception

Noun

Around the same time, Congress established the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, an administrative body that adjudicates patent disputes.

— Andrei Iancu, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
There was also a physical dispute between Parillo and Amy Helm after her removal, during which police were called to LHS in Woodstock.

— Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of dispute

Noun

In response, the watchdog group Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint Wednesday with the State Bar of California asking it to investigate whether Zacharia misrepresented herself as a lawyer in violation of California law.

— Jill Colvin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
In response, the watchdog group Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint Wednesday with the State Bar of California asking them to investigate whether Zacharia misrepresented herself as a lawyer in violation of California law.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of complaint

Browse Nearby Words

difficulties

difficulty

diffidence

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Style

“Difficulty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/difficulty. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of difficulty

noun

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