difficulty
gb/dˈɪfɪkʌlti/ us/dˈɪfɪkʌlti/
B1
English
~ 800
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
state
1
a hard or challenging situation
A situation that is not easy to do or solve.
Usage pattern:
to have [difficulty] (in/with) [doing something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes omit 'in' or 'with' after 'difficulty' when talking about an activity, e.g., saying 'I have difficulty to understand' instead of 'I have difficulty understanding'.
Synonyms
problem (More general; can refer to any issue, not just one that is hard to overcome.)
|
challenge (Often suggests something difficult but possibly positive or motivating.)
Antonyms
ease (Describes the state of being easy or without difficulty.)
|
simplicity (Refers to being simple and uncomplicated.)
Collocations
face difficulty
|experience difficulty
|overcome difficulty
|have difficulty with
|in times of difficulty
Themes
daily life
|work
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She had difficulty understanding the instructions.
- We faced great difficulty finding a taxi late at night.
- Despite the difficulties, they managed to finish the project.
- He spoke of his difficulties adjusting to the new culture.
- The company is experiencing financial difficulties.
Learner examples
- I have difficulty speaking English fast.
- She has difficulty with the test.
- They have difficulty finding the bus stop.
- He has difficulty reading this book.
Noun
B1
entity
2
a problem that blocks progress
Something that stops you or slows you down when you try to do something.
Synonyms
obstacle (More formal; stresses something that stands in the way physically or figuratively.)
|
hindrance (Formal; emphasizes something that delays or prevents progress.)
Antonyms
advantage (Something that helps you succeed instead of holding you back.)
Collocations
technical difficulty
|serious difficulty
|legal difficulties
|encounter difficulties
Themes
daily life
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The project ran into unexpected technical difficulties.
- They encountered many difficulties on their journey.
- Legal difficulties delayed the launch of the product.
- We overcame several difficulties before reaching our goal.
Learner examples
- We had many difficulties on the trip.
- He had legal difficulties last year.
- They met some difficulties during the game.
Noun
B2
property
3
the hardness of a task
How hard something is to do or understand.
Synonyms
complexity (Emphasizes being complicated rather than simply hard.)
Antonyms
ease (Describes how easy something is instead of how difficult.)
Collocations
level of difficulty
|varying difficulty
|increasing difficulty
Themes
education
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The test's level of difficulty was higher than expected.
- We can adjust the game's difficulty settings.
- The main difficulty lies in understanding the theory.
Learner examples
- The test has a high level of difficulty.
- We can change the game's difficulty.
- The difficulty of this work is very high.
Grammar
Dictionary form
difficulty
IPA
GB/dˈɪfɪkʌlti/
US/dˈɪfɪkʌlti/
Syllables & stress
dif - fi - culty (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (dif)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: difficulty
- Plural: difficulties, difficulty
Word family
Expressions
have difficulty (in) doing something
1/hˈæv dˈɪfɪkʌlti ˈɪn dˈuɪŋ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
to find something hard to do
To find it hard to do something.
Examples
- I have difficulty remembering names.
- She has difficulty in walking after the injury.
in difficulty
1/ˈɪn dˈɪfɪkʌlti/
fixed phrase
in a problematic situation
In trouble or in a hard situation.
Examples
- Several swimmers were in difficulty and needed help.
- The company is in serious financial difficulty.
technical difficulties
1/tˈɛknɪkəl dˈɪfɪkʌltiz/
fixed phrase
Problems with equipment working properly
Problems with machines, computers, or other systems not working right.
Examples
- The live stream was interrupted due to technical difficulties.
- The show was delayed due to technical difficulties.
- We are experiencing technical difficulties with our phone lines.
- We are experiencing technical difficulties with our internet service.