adjective
difficult
DIH-fih-kuhlt
adjective
1
Hard to do; requiring a lot of effort, skill, or thought.
"The exam was more difficult than she expected."
"Learning a new language is difficult but rewarding."
2
Hard to deal with; uncooperative or awkward in manner.
"He can be a difficult person to work with."
How to Use Difficult
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishNot easy — either a hard task, or a hard person to get along with.
Common pairings
difficult decision
difficult person
difficult situation
Word Forms
more difficult comparative, difficulted past tense, difficults singular, most difficult superlative
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Etymology
A back-formation from difficulty, ultimately from Latin difficilis, "hard to do" — from dis- plus facilis, "easy."