Anglais

difficulty

gb/dˈɪfɪkʌlti/ us/dˈɪfɪkʌlti/
B1 Anglais
~ 800
Sens
0 sens
Nom B1 state
1

a hard or challenging situation

A situation that is not easy to do or solve.

Schéma d’usage : to have [difficulty] (in/with) [doing something]
Erreur fréquente :
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'.
Synonymes
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.)
Antonymes
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
Thèmes
daily life |work |emotions |core_vocabulary
Exemples
  • 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
  • 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.
Nom B1 entity
2

a problem that blocks progress

Something that stops you or slows you down when you try to do something.

Synonymes
obstacle (More formal; stresses something that stands in the way physically or figuratively.) | hindrance (Formal; emphasizes something that delays or prevents progress.)
Antonymes
advantage (Something that helps you succeed instead of holding you back.)
Collocations
technical difficulty |serious difficulty |legal difficulties |encounter difficulties
Thèmes
daily life |work |core_vocabulary
Exemples
  • 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
  • We had many difficulties on the trip.
  • He had legal difficulties last year.
  • They met some difficulties during the game.
Nom B2 property
3

the hardness of a task

How hard something is to do or understand.

Synonymes
complexity (Emphasizes being complicated rather than simply hard.)
Antonymes
ease (Describes how easy something is instead of how difficult.)
Collocations
level of difficulty |varying difficulty |increasing difficulty
Thèmes
education |work |core_vocabulary
Exemples
  • 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
  • The test has a high level of difficulty.
  • We can change the game's difficulty.
  • The difficulty of this work is very high.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
difficulty
API
GB/dˈɪfɪkʌlti/
US/dˈɪfɪkʌlti/
Syllabes et accentuation
dif - fi - culty (3 syllabes)
Stress on 1st syllable (dif)
Formes du mot
Noun
  • Base: difficulty
  • Plural: difficulties, difficulty
Famille de mots
Forms
difficulties noun
Core family
difficult adjective A2
Negative and opposite forms
easy adjective A1 ease noun B1 easily adverb A2
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.

Exemples
  • 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.

Exemples
  • 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.

Exemples
  • 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.

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