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Definition of "difficult" []

  • Hard to do or accomplish; demanding considerable effort or skill; arduous: "To entertain is far more difficult than to enlighten” ( Anthony Burgess). See Synonyms at hard. (adjective)
  • Hard to endure; trying: fell upon difficult times. (adjective)
  • Hard to comprehend or solve: a difficult puzzle. (adjective)
  • Hard to please, satisfy, or manage: a difficult child. (adjective)
  • Hard to persuade or convince; stubborn. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "difficult" in a sentence
  • "It is of course extremely difficult to collect satisfactory data on such a point, —difficult to reach the men, to get trustworthy testimony, and to gauge that testimony by any generally acceptable criterion of success."
  • "The uncertain light made her expression difficult to read, but Odosse thought she saw pain there—a great deal more pain than belonged in such a young face."
  • "KING: Jeanette, what does the term difficult mean to you?"