Synonyms for difficulty
ˈdɪf ɪˌkʌl ti, -kəl tidif·fi·cul·ty

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:2.0 / 1 vote

1. difficulty

   Difficulty makes an undertaking otherwise than easy. That which rests upon one as a burden is an encumbrance. An impediment is primarily something that checks the foot or in any way makes advance slow or difficult; an obstacle is something that stands across the way, an obstruction something that is built or placed across the way. An obstruction is always an obstacle, but an obstacle may not always be properly termed an obstruction; boxes and bales placed on the sidewalk are obstructions to travel; an ice-floe is an obstacle to navigation, and may become an obstruction if it closes an inlet or channel. A hindrance (kindred with hind, behind) is anything that makes one come behind or short of his purpose. An impediment may be either what one finds in his way or what he carries with him; impedimenta was the Latin name for the baggage of a soldier or of an army. The tendency is to view an impediment as something constant or, at least for a time, continuous; as, an impediment in one's speech. A difficulty or a hindrance may be either within one or without; a speaker may find difficulty in expressing himself, or difficulty in holding the attention of restless children. An encumbrance is always what one carries with him; an obstacle or an obstruction is always without. To a marching soldier the steepness of a mountain path is a difficulty, loose stones are impediments, a fence is an obstruction, a cliff or a boulder across the way is an obstacle; a knapsack is an encumbrance.

   Synonyms:
   bar, barrier, clog, encumbrance, hindrance, impediment, obstacle, obstruction

   Antonyms:
   advantage, aid, assistance, benefit, help, relief, succor

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. trouble, difficultynoun

   an effort that is inconvenient

   "I went to a lot of trouble"; "he won without any trouble"; "had difficulty walking"; "finished the test only with great difficulty"

   Synonyms:
   fuss, trouble, worry, hassle, difficultness, problem, bother

   Antonyms:
   ease, simpleness, simplicity, easiness

2. difficultynoun

   a factor causing trouble in achieving a positive result or tending to produce a negative result

   "serious difficulties were encountered in obtaining a pure reagent"

   Synonyms:
   trouble, difficultness

   Antonyms:
   simpleness, easiness, ease, simplicity

3. difficultynoun

   a condition or state of affairs almost beyond one's ability to deal with and requiring great effort to bear or overcome

   "grappling with financial difficulties"

   Synonyms:
   trouble, difficultness

   Antonyms:
   simpleness, ease, simplicity, easiness

4. difficulty, difficultnessnoun

   the quality of being difficult

   "they agreed about the difficulty of the climb"

   Synonyms:
   trouble, difficultness

   Antonyms:
   simpleness, easiness, ease, simplicity

Matched Categories

1. • Cognitive Factor
   • Condition
   • Effort
   • Quality

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. stress

   a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.

   "he's obviously under a lot of stress"

   Submitted by rinat on August 15, 2019  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. difficultynoun

   Synonyms:
   arduousness

2. difficultynoun

   Synonyms:
   obstacle, impediment, bar, obstruction, barrier, hinderance, trouble, perplexity, exigency, trial, dilemma, embarrassment, emergency, pinch, pickle, stand, dead-set, set fast, dead-lock, dead-stand, stand-still, horns of a dilemma, up-hill work, sea of troubles, peck of troubles, hard row to hoe, hard nut to crack

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. difficultynoun

   Synonyms:
   obstacle, impediment, obstruction, arduousness, hardness, controversy, disagreement, objection, cavil, predicament, quandary, dilemma

   Antonyms:
   ease, facility, extrication, release

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "difficulty":

   difficulties, difficult, trouble, challenge, hardship, problem, challenges, distress, hard

How to pronounce difficulty?

How to say difficulty in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use difficulty in a sentence?

1. Rainer Maria Rilke:

   Do not assume that she who seeks to comfort you now, lives untroubled among the simple and quiet words that sometimes do you good. Her life may also have much sadness and difficulty, that remains far beyond yours. Were it otherwise, she would never have been able to find these words.

2. Confucius:

   The superior man makes the difficulty to be overcome his first interest success only comes later.

3. Arnold Schuler:

   We reached the limit of our resources, we had problems with traffic, and residents have difficulty finding places to live.

4. Peter McWilliams:

   Acceptance is not a state of passivity or inaction. I am not saying you can't change the world, right wrongs, or replace evil with good. Acceptance is, in fact, the first step to successful action. If you don't fully accept a situation precisely the way it is, you will have difficulty changing it. Moreover, if you don't fully accept the situation, you will never really know if the situation should be changed.

5. Syed Akbaruddin:

   Last night, the Maldives foreign minister contacted us saying they were facing a grave emergency, for the next seven to eight days they are going to face extreme difficulty with water so they requested all assistance.