difficult
adjective
dif·fi·cult
ˈdi-fi-(ˌ)kəlt 
1
: hard to do, make, or carry out : arduous
a difficult climb
2
a
: hard to deal with, manage, or overcome
a difficult child
having a difficult time coping with her death
b
: hard to understand : puzzling
difficult reading
found calculus too difficult
difficultly
adverb
Examples of difficult in a Sentence
We were asked lots of difficult questions.
I had to make a very difficult decision.
We'll be hiking over difficult terrain.
It's more difficult than it sounds.
I found myself in a difficult position.
Some difficult days lie ahead of us.
These changes will make life difficult for everyone involved.
Recent Examples on the Web
There are very big match-ups being played week in and week out in what is one of the most difficult leagues to play in on the planet, this means the big contenders will drop points more often than in some other leagues.
—
Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
Generations of design successors have insisted that pie charts are difficult to read and even amount to optical informatic illusions, but we are still stuck with them.
—Mara Mills, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
Walking without shoes can be super painful and difficult with plantar fasciitis so a pair of comfortable slides comes in handy.
—Alex Frost, Glamour, 31 Mar. 2025
Phoenix has the most difficult remaining schedule in the NBA.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for difficult
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Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
Generations of design successors have insisted that pie charts are difficult to read and even amount to optical informatic illusions, but we are still stuck with them.
—Mara Mills, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
Walking without shoes can be super painful and difficult with plantar fasciitis so a pair of comfortable slides comes in handy.
—Alex Frost, Glamour, 31 Mar. 2025
Phoenix has the most difficult remaining schedule in the NBA.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for difficult
Cite this Entry
“Difficult.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/difficult. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
difficult
adjective
dif·fi·cult
ˈdif-i-(ˌ)kəlt
1
: hard to do, make, or carry out
a difficult climb
2
a
: hard to deal with, manage, or overcome
a difficult child
b
: hard to understand : puzzling
difficult reading
difficultly
adverb
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