difficult implies the presence of obstacles to be surmounted or puzzles to be resolved and suggests the need of skill or courage.

DIFFICULT definition: 1. needing skill or effort: 2. not friendly, easy to deal with, or behaving well: 3. needing…. Learn more.

Something that is difficult is not easy to do, understand, or deal with. Hobart found it difficult to get her first book published. The lack of childcare provisions made it difficult for single mothers to get jobs. It …

1. not easy to do; requiring effort: a difficult job. 2. not easy to understand or solve; intricate: a difficult problem. 3. hard to deal with; troublesome: a difficult child. 4. not easily convinced, pleased, or …

requiring special effort, skill, or planning: a difficult job.[it + be + ~ + (for + object +) to + verb] It was difficult (for her) to get a good job. hard to understand or solve: a difficult problem.

Feb 2, 2026 · Adjective difficult (comparative more difficult, superlative most difficult) Hard, not easy, requiring much effort.

There are 11 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word difficult, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Difficult refers to something that requires much effort or skill to accomplish, understand, or deal with. It can also describe a situation or task that presents challenges or complications. Additionally, it may …

DIFFICULT definition: not easily or readily done; requiring much labor, skill, or planning to be performed successfully; hard. See examples of difficult used in a sentence.

difficult: Requiring considerable effort or skill; not easy to do or accomplish.