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. Arnold Schuler:

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

2. William Schaffner:

   We do not test people with no symptoms because it's a resource issue, however, we are emphasizing that people who have this small cluster of important symptoms -- fever and anything related to the lower respiratory tract such as cough and difficulty breathing -- reach out to be evaluated.

3. Cameron Heron:

   It was so traumatic. She doesnt remember much, which, in a way, Im thankful for as it was so distressing for her. As medics sprang into action, working around the clock to save Heron, her motherbecame terrified she would not make it. The day after she was admitted to the hospital, it looked as if her worst fears would be realized when Heron suddenly stopped breathing. Her throat had swollen so much that she couldnt breathe, it was horrendous to watch. She was throwing up all this blood and skin. I really thought she was going to die. While doctors managed to stabilize Heron, the condition continued to ravage her body, leaving the skin on her face, chest, back, and arms so burnt that it fell away. Her lips also swelled to the point where they burst and her mouth became covered in painful ulcers. Doctors told us it was one of the worst cases they had ever seen, Carmen Heron said. Danika was barely conscious most of the time, and had this button to press to get pain relief when it became too much. Her organs were failing and she had so much internal scarring. She was being burnt from the inside out. Her entire body was bandaged, and when the dressings were removed, her skin came away too. Finally, after three weeks, Heron slowly began to rally and was discharged six days later. But, her journey was far from over, as she was left with side-effects such as the loss of her hair and nails. Her skin is still healing to this day and she also needs hearing aids as the insides of her ears are so scarred. As well as the physical fallout, she is also fighting the emotional legacy of SJS, having suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Were still dealing with SJS - it didnt stop when we left hospital, Carmen Heron said. Danika will have days where she feels incredibly low and struggles with flashbacks of being in hospital. Thankfully, if she feels that way, she will phone us right away. We have found that, as a family, its good to talk rather than bottle everything up, however difficult those memories might be. Another side-effect of Heronsordeal was the warning by doctors that, due to the amount of internal scarring she had sustained, it was unlikely she would ever conceive. According to the U.S. Library of National Medicine, SJS and TEN often cause the tissue around the mucous membranes which line various cavities in the body, including the eyes, ears, mouth, vagina, and urethra, as well as covering the organs to die. As a result, women can experience vaginal lesions that lead to painful intercourse, difficulty conceiving, and even infertility. The doctors said they could refer her to a gynecologist to run some tests, but she never went I think she didnt want to hear the answers, Carmen Heron said. But, in December 2018, the Heron family received some news they thought they would never hear. Danika rang me crying. I immediately panicked and said, Whats wrong ?

4. William Cullen Bryant:

   Difficulty, my brethren, is the nurse of greatness-a harsh nurse, who roughly rocks her foster-children into strength and athletic proportion.

5. Bradley Blakeman:

   California is in serious financial difficulty.