difficulty

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
22
Words With Friends
24
Letters
10
Pronunciation
/ˈdɪfɪkəlti/

Definition of difficulty

6 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included

noun

  1. (countable, uncountable)The state of being difficult, or hard to do.
    “My mom is old and has a lot of difficulty (in) remembering all her grandchildren's names.”
See all 6 definitions

noun

  1. (countable, uncountable)The state of being difficult, or hard to do.
    “My mom is old and has a lot of difficulty (in) remembering all her grandchildren's names.”
  2. (countable, uncountable)An obstacle that hinders achievement of a goal.
    “We faced a difficulty in trying to book a flight so late.”
    “The difficulties of photoheliography consist principally in the rapidity with which the sun's image acts upon the sensitive film.”
    “The two-hour debate was briefly stalled by a technical difficulty with the moderators’ microphones.”
  3. (countable, in-plural, sometimes, uncountable)Physical danger from the environment, especially with risk of drowning
    “2012 August 2, "Children rescued after getting into difficulties in Donegal" BBC Online”
    “The three teenagers, a girl and two boys, were playing by the river when it is believed they got into difficulty.”
    “Members of the public had called 999 as they were concerned the kayaker was in difficulty around the headland race due to very strong spring tides and choppy seas with the kayaker making no headway.”
    “A group of young people had to be rescued from Dartmoor on Friday night after getting into difficulty during a Duke of Edinburgh exercise. […] A 16-year-old girl required medical attention and a medic was winched down to the site by helicopter.”
  4. (countable, uncountable)An objection.
  5. (countable, uncountable)That which cannot be easily understood or believed.
  6. (countable, uncountable)An awkward situation or quarrel.

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

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.

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