Difficulty Definition, Examples & Common Usage

Meaning 1：challenge (difficulty)

difficulty 🔊

/ˈdɪfɪkəlti/

When something is hard to do or understand, causing a problem.

Person facing a challenging climbing wall with difficulty expression

challenge 🔊

➕

/ˈtʃælɪndʒ/

The state or quality of being hard to accomplish, understand, or deal with; an obstacle or problem.

📁 Category：Entertainment & Sports 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'difficultas': dis- (not) + facilis (easy) + -ty (noun suffix).

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'difficult' has 'cult' — imagine a cult that makes everyday tasks extremely hard to do.

📖 Example

Learning a new musical instrument involves overcoming the initial difficulty of reading sheet music. 🔊 Learning a new musical instrument involves overcoming the initial difficulty of reading sheet music.

🔗 Collocations

face difficulty – encounter a problem or challenge

overcome difficulty – succeed despite obstacles

degree of difficulty – level of challenge

🔄 Synonyms

challenge (n.) – a task or situation requiring effort

obstacle (n.) – something that blocks progress

hardship (n.) – severe suffering or difficulty

🚫 Antonyms

ease (n.) – freedom from difficulty

simplicity (n.) – the quality of being easy

facility (n.) – effortlessness

🌱 Derivatives

difficult (adj.) – hard to do or deal with

difficultly (adv.) – in a difficult manner

difficultness (n.) – the quality of being difficult

📖 Cultural Story

Latin 'difficultas' literally means 'not easy'. In modern English, it is central to phrases like 'learning difficulty' and is a key term in psychology and education.