Word Explorer

Difficult

/ˈdɪfɪkəlt/

To make difficult; to impede; to perplex.

📖 Definitions of "Difficult"

verb

adjective

1
Hard, not easy, requiring much effort.
"However, the difficult weather conditions will ensure Yunnan has plenty of freshwater."
2
(often of a person, or a horse, etc) Hard to manage, uncooperative, troublesome.
"Stop being difficult and eat your broccoli—you know it's good for you."
3
Unable or unwilling.

30 synonyms found via WordNet and Google Books.

Word	Definition
arduous	Needing or using up much energy; testing powers of endurance.
delicatenoun	Easily damaged or requiring careful handling.
vexed	annoyed, irritated or distressed
fractious	Irritable; argumentative; quarrelsome.
serious	Important; weighty; not insignificant.
challengingnoun	Difficult, hard to do.
ambitious	(of a person or their character) Having or showing ambition; wanting a lot of power, honor, respect, superiority, or other distinction.
hardnoun	(of material or fluid) Solid and firm.
roughnoun	Not smooth; uneven.
rugged	(of a person) Strong, sturdy, well-built.
toughverb	(of a material) Strong and resilient; sturdy.
stubbornnoun	Refusing to move or to change one's opinion; obstinate; firmly resisting; persistent in doing something.
nastynoun	Contemptible, unpleasant (of a person).
effortful	Requiring or showing effort.
problematicnoun	Posing a problem; having or suffering from problem(s):
tightverb	Firmly held together; compact; not loose or open.
awkwardnoun	Lacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction.
tricky	Hard to deal with, complicated.
herculean	Requiring a huge amount of work; of extraordinary difficulty.
bafflingnoun	Puzzling, perplexing, bewildering.
troublesome	Causing trouble or anxiety.
thorny	(figuratively) Troublesome or vexatious.
embarrassingnoun	Causing embarrassment; leading to a feeling of uncomfortable shame or self-consciousness.
unenviable	Difficult, undesirable, or unpleasant; not to be envied.
tryingnoun	Difficult to endure; arduous.

Words with the opposite meaning.

Word	Definition
easynoun	Requiring little skill or effort.

Found via reverse dictionary — words that share a conceptual meaning.

Word	Definition
challenging	Difficult, hard to do.
tryingverb	Difficult to endure; arduous.
arduous	Needing or using up much energy; testing powers of endurance.
problematic	Posing a problem; having or suffering from problem(s):
tricky	Hard to deal with, complicated.
hard	(of material or fluid) Solid and firm.
hard-fought	Achieved through a large effort.
effortful	Requiring or showing effort.
fractious	Irritable; argumentative; quarrelsome.
troublesome	Causing trouble or anxiety.
tough	(of a material) Strong and resilient; sturdy.
embarrassing	Causing embarrassment; leading to a feeling of uncomfortable shame or self-consciousness.
tight	Firmly held together; compact; not loose or open.
stubborn	Refusing to move or to change one's opinion; obstinate; firmly resisting; persistent in doing something.
baffling	Puzzling, perplexing, bewildering.
vexed	annoyed, irritated or distressed
rough	Not smooth; uneven.
rugged	(of a person) Strong, sturdy, well-built.
problematical	Dubious or ambiguous.
ambitious	(of a person or their character) Having or showing ambition; wanting a lot of power, honor, respect, superiority, or other distinction.