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
Fun mini-games, tons of content and a Challenge Mode that upgrades the difficulty for a second run through the story mean this is massive value for the money, especially at 57% off.
—
K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 28 May 2025
Greif: Indiana is on the verge of the NBA Finals by taking the path of most resistance, given the ridiculously high degree of difficulty of victories against Milwaukee, Cleveland and New York.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 28 May 2025
Certain fish that are caught are worth more points based on difficulty of catching them and other criteria.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025
Flip invented the Wheezer Scale for gauging the difficulty of hiking up hills.
—Flip Putthoff, Arkansas Online, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for difficulty
K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 28 May 2025
Greif: Indiana is on the verge of the NBA Finals by taking the path of most resistance, given the ridiculously high degree of difficulty of victories against Milwaukee, Cleveland and New York.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 28 May 2025
Certain fish that are caught are worth more points based on difficulty of catching them and other criteria.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025
Flip invented the Wheezer Scale for gauging the difficulty of hiking up hills.
—Flip Putthoff, Arkansas Online, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for difficulty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for difficulty
Noun
-
Defined as stress or anxiety tied to past financial hardships, financial trauma does not always look like bankruptcy or foreclosure.—
Alejandra Rojas,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
-
When asked whether the settlement came at a time of financial hardship for her family, Ventura denied this was the case.—
Isabella Gomez Sarmiento,
NPR,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
The sheer complexity of a deal, which will take years to complete and require multiagency input, forced Trump’s first treasury secretary to shelve their sale, and experts believe the same hurdles pose significant challenges this time around, too.—
Haisten Willis,
The Washington Examiner,
26 May 2025
-
The distance to exoplanets, the faintness of signals, and the complexity of atmospheres mean distinguishing between molecules that differ by just one atom is extremely challenging.—
Victoria Corless,
Space.com,
25 May 2025
Noun
-
And an attorney representing local developers cited the law in objection to the county’s move to prevent thousands of new homes from being built beyond the county’s development boundary.—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
23 May 2025
-
The defense objected to the response, and the judge sustained the objection, meaning the jury cannot consider his response as evidence.—
Nicki Brown,
CNN Money,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
Her crypto controversy began the very next day, resulting in a show hiatus.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
20 May 2025
-
Meanwhile, Trump and his allies have attracted their own commencement controversies.—
Emma Whitford,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
Noun
-
Causes Charcot foot is closely linked to peripheral neuropathy, which is often a complication of diabetes.—
Isabel Casimiro,
Verywell Health,
22 May 2025
-
The new strategy would continue the current vaccine approval process for people ages 65 and older and younger people with health problems that put them at high risk for serious complications from the virus.—
Rob Stein,
NPR,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
This law has been in place since 2014 and applies statewide, with exceptions for roles where background checks are mandated by statute.—
Alonzo Martinez,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
-
The exception was fourth-round receiver Jordan Watkins, who caught three passes — two from Purdy — in the practice.—
Matt Barrows,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
Those CBAs also require that should there be a dispute as to whether the league, a club, a union, or a player abided by their obligations under the CBA, such dispute be settled through a confidential arbitration process.—
Chris Deubert,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
-
This dispute is one of several signs revealing a worsening relationship between the two leaders, reflecting broader disagreements on Iran, regional conflicts, economic policy, and diplomatic priorities.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
Noun
-
According to the mother's complaint, Sekulow and his son did not want to be associated with hiring a gay man at their organization the American Center for Law and Justice, Inc (ACLJ).—
Sophie Clark,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
-
The report echoes complaints shared throughout the industry, including by the world’s largest European soccer streamer, DAZN.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Difficulty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/difficulty. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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