difficulty

Reading level: medium

Estimated CEFR level: A2 — Elementary

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun an effort that is inconvenient
  2. noun a factor causing trouble in achieving a positive result or tending to produce a negative result
  3. noun a condition or state of affairs almost beyond one's ability to deal with and requiring great effort to bear or overcome

Etymology

From Middle English difficulte, from Middle French and Anglo-Norman difficulte and their etymon Latin difficultas, from difficul, older form of difficilis (“hard to do, difficult”), from dis- + facilis (“easy”); see difficile and difficult. Equivalent to dis- + facile + -ty. Also analysable as difficult + -y, though the adjective is historically a backformation from the noun.

In classic literature

Synonyms

trouble

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