Dictionary

difficulty en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The state of being difficult, or hard to do.
   • My mom is old and has a lot of difficulty (in) remembering all her grandchildren's names.
2. (countable, uncountable) An obstacle that hinders achievement of a goal.
   • The two-hour debate was briefly stalled by a technical difficulty with the moderators’ microphones. 2019 June 27, Lauren Gambino, “Democratic 2020 candidates clash on healthcare, immigration and economy in first debate”, in The Guardian:
   • We faced a difficulty in trying to book a flight so late.
   • The difficulties of photoheliography consist principally in the rapidity with which the sun's image acts upon the sensitive film. 1860, Photographic news for amateur photographers, volumes 3-4, page 113:
3. (countable, in-plural, sometimes, uncountable) Physical danger from the environment, especially with risk of drowning
   • 2012 August 2, "Children rescued after getting into difficulties in Donegal" BBC Online
   • Members of the public had called 999 as they were concerned the kayaker was in difficulty around the headland race due to very strong spring tides and choppy seas with the kayaker making no headway. 2016 March 14, “Kayaker rescued after getting into difficulty”, in Bournemouth Echo:
   • A group of young people had to be rescued from Dartmoor on Friday night after getting into difficulty during a Duke of Edinburgh exercise. […] A 16-year-old girl required medical attention and a medic was winched down to the site by helicopter. 2016 March 19, Neil Shaw, “Teens rescued from Dartmoor after getting into difficulty”, in Plymouth Herald:
   • The three teenagers, a girl and two boys, were playing by the river when it is believed they got into difficulty. 2016 February 24, Catherine Shanahan, “Boy, 13, drowns after getting into difficulty in river”, in Irish Examiner:
4. (countable, uncountable) An objection.
5. (countable, uncountable) That which cannot be easily understood or believed.
6. (countable, uncountable) An awkward situation or quarrel.

Forms

Deriveds

with great difficulty · technical difficulty · learning difficulty · counterdifficulty · difficulty level · personality difficulty · with difficulty · in difficulty

Relateds

difficile · difficult

Synonyms

trouble

Translations (137)

be ця́жкасць (state of being difficult) · ga habal (obstacle) · nl hindernis (obstacle) · bg препятствие (obstacle) · sh тешко̀ћа (state of being difficult) · gd docaireachd (state of being difficult) · kix āngtsō (obstacle) · nb aber (obstacle) · hi दिक्कत (state of being difficult) · fi este (obstacle) · ast dificultá (obstacle) · es dificultad (obstacle) · es cortapisa (obstacle) · grc ἀπορία (state of being difficult) · gd staing (state of being difficult) · da sværhed (state of being difficult) · el δυσκολία (obstacle) · mi papatoieketanga (state of being difficult) · gl dificultade (state of being difficult) · enm resistence (obstacle) · da besvær (obstacle) · enm difficulte (state of being difficult) · eo malfacilo (obstacle) · bg пречка (obstacle) · da vanskelighed (state of being difficult) · fi hankaluus (obstacle) · pl trudność (obstacle) · ro dificultate (state of being difficult) · be тру́днасць (state of being difficult) · pl trudność (state of being difficult) · pdt Schwierichkjeit (state of being difficult) · eo malfacilaĵo (obstacle) · ro obstacol (obstacle) · gd cruas (state of being difficult) · gd cruadal (state of being difficult) · oc dificultat (state of being difficult) · hi मुसीबत (state of being difficult) · ast dificultá (state of being difficult) · el δυσκολία (state of being difficult) · nn vanske (obstacle) · grc ἀπορία (obstacle) · sh teškòća (state of being difficult) · ko 어려움 (obstacle) · fi hankaluus (state of being difficult) · ca dificultat (obstacle) · ca dificultat (state of being difficult) · hi कठिनाई (state of being difficult) · de Schwierigkeit (state of being difficult) · crh mesele (state of being difficult) · cmn 困難 /困难 (state of being difficult) · sv svårighet (state of being difficult) · lad difikoltá (state of being difficult) · kl sapernassuseq (state of being difficult) · nn vanske (state of being difficult) · eu zailtasun (obstacle) · eo malfacilo (state of being difficult) · eu zailtasun (state of being difficult) · crh qıyınlıq (state of being difficult) · uk ва́жкість (state of being difficult) · txb āmāskai (state of being difficult) · kix āngtsō (state of being difficult) · fr difficulté (obstacle) · az çətinlik (state of being difficult) · nv ił nanitłʼah (state of being difficult) · la difficultās (state of being difficult) · pt dificuldade (obstacle) · pt dificuldade (state of being difficult) · es dificultad (state of being difficult) · hi विषमता (obstacle) · sv besvär (state of being difficult) · la artum (obstacle) · hi बाधा (obstacle) · gd duilgheadas (state of being difficult) · gl dificultade (obstacle) · grc χαλεπότης (state of being difficult) · nb vanske (state of being difficult) · it difficoltà (state of being difficult) · eo malfacileco (state of being difficult) · ar صُعُوبَة (state of being difficult) · ur مشکل (state of being difficult) · ar صُعُوبَة (obstacle) · gd spàirn (state of being difficult) · ro piedică (obstacle) · tr zorluk (state of being difficult) · ja 障害 (obstacle) · it difficoltà (obstacle) · az çətinlik (obstacle) · ckb زەحمەتی (obstacle) · ml ബുദ്ധിമുട്ട് (obstacle) · sl težavnost (state of being difficult) · ur کٹھنائی (state of being difficult) · la difficultās (obstacle) · nb vanske (obstacle) · gd èiginn (state of being difficult) · cs potíž (obstacle) · gd teanntachd (state of being difficult) · enm resistence (state of being difficult) · pdt Schwierichkjeit (obstacle) · sa त्यजस् (obstacle) · ru тру́дность (obstacle) · izh vaikehus (state of being difficult) · hu nehézség (state of being difficult) · ky кыйындык (state of being difficult) · ko 어려움 (state of being difficult) · ja 困難 (obstacle) · te కష్టం (state of being difficult) · ml കഷ്ടപ്പാട് (state of being difficult) · ja 難しさ (state of being difficult) · fr difficulté (state of being difficult) · uk тру́дність (state of being difficult) · ru затрудне́ние (obstacle) · mk тешкотија (state of being difficult) · ru сло́жность (state of being difficult) · cs obtíž (obstacle) · fi vaikeus (state of being difficult) · sk obtiažnosť (state of being difficult) · ht difikilte (state of being difficult) · ga stró (obstacle) · id kesukaran (state of being difficult) · ht difikilte (obstacle) · sv möda (obstacle) · lad difikultad (state of being difficult) · ro dificultate (obstacle) · ga deacracht (state of being difficult) · bg затруднение (obstacle) · mi uauatanga (state of being difficult) · bg трудност (state of being difficult) · uk тя́жкість (state of being difficult) · cmn 困難 /困难 (obstacle) · nl moeilijkheid (state of being difficult) · sid qarra (obstacle) · ml ബുദ്ധിമുട്ട് (state of being difficult) · hi दिक़्क़त (state of being difficult) · ru тру́дность (state of being difficult) · bg мъчнотия (state of being difficult) · he קושי (state of being difficult) · cs obtížnost (state of being difficult)