1
as in hardship
something that is a cause for suffering or special effort especially in the attainment of a goal
the many difficulties that he encountered on the road from poor orphan to head of a major corporation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in complexity
something that makes a situation more complicated or difficult
there was a minor difficulty when we realized that the store had already closed
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in objection
a feeling or declaration of disapproval or dissent
the only difficulty I have with the dress is its color—does it come in anything besides purple?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in controversy
variance of opinion on a matter
the theologian's ongoing difficulties with the Vatican
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of difficulty
More research is needed to determine if this priming has an impact on those who have difficulty filtering out background noise, such as people with hearing loss or ADHD.
—
New Atlas, 9 Apr. 2025
As early as 1991, some researchers began administering small doses of the hormone to children with autism, who sometimes have extreme difficulty falling and staying asleep.
—ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2025
Scientists such as Church were not daunted by the difficulty of the science or the ethical thickets involved.
—D. T. Max, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Foreign fighters – who helped anti-Assad revolutionaries and gave ISIS and Al Qaeda a foothold in country – are another difficulty.
—Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for difficulty
New Atlas, 9 Apr. 2025
As early as 1991, some researchers began administering small doses of the hormone to children with autism, who sometimes have extreme difficulty falling and staying asleep.
—ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2025
Scientists such as Church were not daunted by the difficulty of the science or the ethical thickets involved.
—D. T. Max, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Foreign fighters – who helped anti-Assad revolutionaries and gave ISIS and Al Qaeda a foothold in country – are another difficulty.
—Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for difficulty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for difficulty
Noun
-
The Tower is not always an omen of hardship and struggle.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 Apr. 2025
-
The book has the spirit of other King coming-of-age stories, following boys who prevail amid hardship and despair ala the characters in Stand by Me and It.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Likewise, some recessions have occurred without a concurrent bear market, highlighting the complexity of using markets as predictive tools.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
-
The scientific challenges facing the EPA are increasing in complexity.—
H. Christopher Frey,
The Conversation,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
That decision came over the objections of Chief Justice John Roberts and the court's three liberal justices.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Kansas Action for Children, a nonpartisan child advocacy group, has also voiced objection to the amendment Williams added to the bill enshrining religious freedom exemptions to immunization requirements for daycares.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But even without the political controversy, Tesla is facing headwinds due to growing competition from other automakers, particularly those in China.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2025
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Plus, there’s no shortage of controversy in modern politics—use this recipe as a starting point for your own cheeky and timely dessert.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Before the measles vaccine was introduced in 1963, the United States saw hundreds of thousands of cases every year, many resulting in complications like pneumonia, encephalitis and death.—
Dr. Josh Green,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Resulting high calcium levels can cause additional complications like kidney damage.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The only exception was April 2 against the Cubs, when Chicago scored four runs in the second inning.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
The other exception was in 2020, which was a pretty unique situation since the market did not know how to account for a global pandemic.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment on the cancellations, but the company has noted in its annual report that international trade disputes, including tariffs, pose a risk to its business.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Apr. 2025
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Approach with caution, look at reviews, and maybe don’t use your main credit card (or at least keep your bank’s dispute line handy).—
Francesca Krempa,
StyleCaster,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The recall began after a consumer made a complaint about the cans containing cashews.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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Actually 2 questions: 1) Do race fans, reporters, and aficionados accept vague whiny complaints from the drivers about how the car is to blame without demanding some type of backup?—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Difficulty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/difficulty. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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