Difficult
/ˈdɪfɪkəlt/
Definitions
2 meaningsRequiring much effort, skill, or care; hard; not easy.
/ˈdɪfɪkəlt/
Requiring considerable effort or skill to achieve or cope with.
Learning a new language can be difficult.
💡 Simply: Imagine trying to build a really tall tower of blocks – if it keeps falling over, it's difficult! That means it's not easy and takes a lot of work or skill.
👶 For kids: When something is hard to do, it is difficult.
More Examples
The climbing route was quite difficult.
He faced a difficult decision about his career.
How It's Used
"Solving this math problem is difficult."
"The exam was difficult, but the students persevered."
"He has a difficult personality."
Causing problems or trouble; hard to deal with.
/ˈdɪfɪkəlt/
Hard to deal with; troublesome.
He has a difficult temper.
💡 Simply: Imagine your friend is being fussy and not wanting to share toys – that's being difficult! It means someone or something is hard to handle or is causing a problem.
👶 For kids: Something that is hard to handle or deal with, like when a toy is not working.
More Examples
The traffic made the journey difficult.
We encountered a difficult customer.
How It's Used
"She's a difficult person to work with."
"The political situation is difficult."
Idioms & expressions
difficult situation
A situation that poses problems or challenges.
"They found themselves in a difficult situation after losing the contract."
difficult to please
Hard to satisfy or make happy.
"The reviewer was difficult to please, criticizing every detail."
From Latin *difficilis* 'hard to do' (from *dis-* 'apart' + *facilis* 'easy, that can be done'), reflecting the idea of something that is not easily accomplished or overcome.
The word has been in use since the 14th century, evolving from its Latin roots to describe a wide range of challenging situations and tasks.
Memory tip
Think of a 'diff'icult journey – it's hard to navigate!
Word Origin
"hard to do; not easy"