Difficulty

Difficulty Dif"fi*cul*ty, n.; pl. {Difficulties}. [L. difficultas, fr. difficilis difficult; dif- = dis- + facilis easy: cf. F. difficult['e]. See {Facile}.] 1. The state of being difficult, or hard to do; hardness; arduousness; -- opposed to {easiness} or {facility}; as, the difficulty of a task or enterprise; a work of difficulty. [1913 Webster]

Not being able to promote them [the interests of life] on account of the difficulty of the region. --James Byrne. [1913 Webster]

2. Something difficult; a thing hard to do or to understand; that which occasions labor or perplexity, and requires skill and perseverance to overcome, solve, or achieve; a hard enterprise; an obstacle; an impediment; as, the difficulties of a science; difficulties in theology. [1913 Webster]

They lie under some difficulties by reason of the emperor's displeasure. --Addison. [1913 Webster]

3. A controversy; a falling out; a disagreement; an objection; a cavil. [1913 Webster]

Measures for terminating all local difficulties. --Bancroft. [1913 Webster]

4. Embarrassment of affairs, especially financial affairs; -- usually in the plural; as, to be in difficulties. [1913 Webster]

In days of difficulty and pressure. --Tennyson.

Syn: Impediment; obstacle; obstruction; embarrassment; perplexity; exigency; distress; trouble; trial; objection; cavil. See {Impediment}. [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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difficulty — difficulty, hardship, rigor, vicissitude are synonyms only when they mean something which demands effort and endurance if it is to be overcome or one s end achieved. Difficulty, the most widely applicable of these terms, applies to any condition … New Dictionary of Synonyms
difficulty — [dif′i kul΄tē, dif′ikəl΄tē] n. pl. difficulties [ME & OFr difficulte < L difficultas < difficilis, difficult < dis , not + facilis, easy: see FACILE] 1. the condition or fact of being difficult 2. something that is difficult, as a hard… … English World dictionary
difficulty — [n1] problem; situation requiring great effort adversity, arduousness, awkwardness, barricade, check, complication, crisis, crux, dead end, deadlock, deep water*, dilemma, distress, emergency, exigency, fix*, frustration, hardship, hazard,… … New thesaurus
difficulty — late 14c., from O.Fr. difficulté, from L. difficultatem (nom. difficultas) difficulty, distress, poverty, from difficilis hard, from dis not, away from (see DIS (Cf. dis )) + facilis easy (see FACILE (Cf. facile)) … Etymology dictionary
difficulty — index adversity, aggravation (annoyance), bar (obstruction), burden, complex (entanglement) … Law dictionary
difficulty — ► NOUN (pl. difficulties) 1) the state or condition of being difficult. 2) a difficult or dangerous situation or circumstance. ORIGIN Latin difficultas, from facultas ability, opportunity … English terms dictionary
difficulty — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ considerable, enormous, extreme, grave, great, major, real, serious, severe ▪ We had enormous difficulty … Collocations dictionary
difficulty */*/*/ — UK [ˈdɪfɪk(ə)ltɪ] / US [ˈdɪfɪkəltɪ] noun Word forms difficulty : singular difficulty plural difficulties Metaphor: A difficult idea or situation is like a knot or something that is tied up, tangled, or twisted. When you deal with it successfully … English dictionary
difficulty — dif|fi|cul|ty [ dıfıkəlti ] noun *** 1. ) uncount how difficult something is: The courses vary in content and difficulty. 2. ) uncount if you have difficulty with something, you are not able to do it easily: difficulty (in) doing something: Six… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
difficulty — n. 1) to cause, create, make, present difficulties for 2) to come across, encounter, experience, face, meet, run into difficulties 3) to clear up, overcome, resolve, surmount a difficulty 4) (a) grave, great, insurmountable, serious, severe… … Combinatory dictionary

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Difficulty

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