The meaning of DIFFICULT is hard to do, make, or carry out : arduous. How to use difficult in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Difficult.

DIFFICULT definition: 1. needing skill or effort: 2. not friendly, easy to deal with, or behaving well: 3. needing…. Learn more.

Something that is difficult is not easy to do, understand, or deal with. Hobart found it difficult to get her first book published. The lack of childcare provisions made it difficult for single mothers to …

Find 179 different ways to say DIFFICULT, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.

Difficult definition: not easily or readily done; requiring much labor, skill, or planning to be performed successfully; hard.. See examples of DIFFICULT used in a sentence.

1. not easy to do; requiring effort: a difficult job. 2. not easy to understand or solve; intricate: a difficult problem. 3. hard to deal with; troublesome: a difficult child. 4. not easily convinced, …

Nov 16, 2025 · Difficult implies that considerable mental effort or physical skill is required, or that obstacles are to be overcome which call for sagacity and skill in the doer; as, a difficult task. …

requiring special effort, skill, or planning: a difficult job.[it + be + ~ + (for + object +) to + verb] It was difficult (for her) to get a good job. hard to understand or solve: a difficult problem.

There are 11 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word difficult, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

If something is difficult, it requires physical effort or brain power to complete, like climbing Mount Everest, a difficult journey.