difficult
adjective
dif·fi·cult
ˈdi-fi-(ˌ)kəlt 
1
: hard to do, make, or carry out : arduous
a difficult climb
2
a
: hard to deal with, manage, or overcome
a difficult child
having a difficult time coping with her death
b
: hard to understand : puzzling
difficult reading
found calculus too difficult
difficultly
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of difficult in a Sentence
We were asked lots of difficult questions.
I had to make a very difficult decision.
We'll be hiking over difficult terrain.
It's more difficult than it sounds.
I found myself in a difficult position.
Some difficult days lie ahead of us.
These changes will make life difficult for everyone involved.
Recent Examples on the Web
While this is a difficult part of the process, doing it thoughtfully can help maintain trust and morale among the remaining employees.
—
Marek Niedzwiedz, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024
This double whammy could, in theory, make recovery from the virus more difficult, Hector Bonilla, MD, a clinical associate professor of medicine-infectious disease at Stanford University and co-director of Stanford’s Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome Clinic, tells SELF.
—Julie Stewart, SELF, 5 Sep. 2024
That left the agency in a difficult spot, having to consider approving a treatment where a very consequential half — in terms of both safety and efficacy — was beyond its control.
—Oshan Jarow, Vox, 5 Sep. 2024
Through snapshots of their life together, falling for each other, building a home, becoming a family, a difficult truth is revealed that rocks its foundation.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for difficult 
Marek Niedzwiedz, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024
This double whammy could, in theory, make recovery from the virus more difficult, Hector Bonilla, MD, a clinical associate professor of medicine-infectious disease at Stanford University and co-director of Stanford’s Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome Clinic, tells SELF.
—Julie Stewart, SELF, 5 Sep. 2024
That left the agency in a difficult spot, having to consider approving a treatment where a very consequential half — in terms of both safety and efficacy — was beyond its control.
—Oshan Jarow, Vox, 5 Sep. 2024
Through snapshots of their life together, falling for each other, building a home, becoming a family, a difficult truth is revealed that rocks its foundation.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for difficult
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'difficult.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near difficult
Cite this Entry
“Difficult.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/difficult. Accessed 12 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
difficult
adjective
dif·fi·cult
ˈdif-i-(ˌ)kəlt
1
: hard to do, make, or carry out
a difficult climb
2
a
: hard to deal with, manage, or overcome
a difficult child
b
: hard to understand : puzzling
difficult reading
difficultly
adverb
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