difficult
ˈdɪfɪkəlt
Definition Synonyms

Definition of difficult - Reverso English Dictionary

Related topics:

Adjective

1.
taskrequiring much effort or skill to do
  • The exam was very difficult for everyone.
arduous challenging tough
2.
problemhard to understand or solve
  • The math problem was difficult to solve.
challenging complex tricky
3.
demandingnot easy to please or satisfy
  • He is a difficult person to work with..
challenging demanding tough
4.
personRareuncooperative or hard to manageRare
  • He is a difficult person to work with.
stubborn uncooperative unmanageable
Add a suggestion |

Expressions with difficult

💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
hard to ingest due to size or taste
The large pill was difficult to swallow.
cause someone stress or trouble intentionally
The manager gave him a difficult time about the report.
something hard to accept or deal with
Losing the championship was a difficult pill to swallow for the team.
somewhat hard to do or understand
The math problem was a bit difficult for the students.
trip that is hard to complete
The explorers faced a difficult journey through the dense jungle.
someone who is hard to deal with
She is a difficult person to work with.

Origin of difficult

Latin, difficilis (hard)

Terms with difficult included in their meaning

💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
simple
not be difficult
emergency aid
rescue me from a difficult situation
exploration
person who leads others through difficult areas
hardadj.
difficult task
requiring a lot of effort or strength
harderadj.
difficulty
more difficult to do or understand
difficulty
difficult to obtain or achieve
aid in trouble
provide assistance to escape a difficult situation
struggle
effort to achieve something difficult

Examples of difficult in a sentence

  • The difficult project required a lot of teamwork.
  • The instructions were difficult to follow.
  • Solving the puzzle proved to be difficult.
  • She can be quite difficult when things don't go her way.
  • The client was difficult, demanding constant revisions.
  • The child was difficult during the entire trip.

View all translations of difficult

Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
  1. French:difficile, complexe, ...
  2. German:schwierig, kompliziert, ...
  3. Italian:difficile, complesso, ...
  4. Spanish:difícil, complejo, ...
  5. Portuguese:difícil, exigente, ...
  6. Chinese:困难的, 难解的, ...
  7. Japanese:難しい, 難解な, ...
  8. Arabic:صَعْب, مُتَطَلِّب, ...
  9. Hebrew:קָשֶׁה, קָשֶׁה, ...
  10. Russian:сложный, неуживчивый, ...
  11. Ukrainian:складний, незрозумілий, ...
  12. Hindi:कठिन, दुर्गम, ...
Browse the dictionary entries starting with “d”:

Discover how Reverso redefines the dictionary

Go beyond “simple words”

Get more than a simple definition

Go from understanding to mastery