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
But their happy romance is soon demolished when Jenny reappears in their lives, thrusting all three into a difficult and messy journey towards true accountability and adulthood.
—
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025
These protein complexes are highly shape-shifting, making traditional imaging methods very difficult.
—Priyanka Naik, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2025
Additionally, generative AI maintains a detailed record of its decisions, offering a level of transparency that can be difficult to achieve in human decision making.
—David Paffenholz, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
The worst of this is during residency, where 80-plus hour work weeks, 24-plus hour shifts, and difficult on-call schedules are the norm.
—Christopher M. Worsham, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for difficult
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Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025
These protein complexes are highly shape-shifting, making traditional imaging methods very difficult.
—Priyanka Naik, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2025
Additionally, generative AI maintains a detailed record of its decisions, offering a level of transparency that can be difficult to achieve in human decision making.
—David Paffenholz, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
The worst of this is during residency, where 80-plus hour work weeks, 24-plus hour shifts, and difficult on-call schedules are the norm.
—Christopher M. Worsham, TIME, 7 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 22 Mar. 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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