dif·fi·cul·ty

[dif-i-kuhl-tee, -kuhl-tee]
noun, plural dif·fi·cul·ties.
1.
the fact or condition of being difficult.
2.
Often, difficul·ties. an embarrassing situation, especially of financial affairs.
3.
a trouble or struggle.
4.
a cause of trouble, struggle, or embarrassment.
5.
a disagreement or dispute.
6.
reluctance; unwillingness.
7.
a demur; objection.
8.
something that is hard to do, understand, or surmount; an impediment or obstacle.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English difficulte (< Anglo-French) < Latin difficultās, equivalent to difficil(is) difficile + -tās -ty2

pre·dif·fi·cul·ty, noun, plural pre·dif·fi·cul·ties.


2. dilemma, predicament, quandary, plight, fix, exigency, strait. 3. problem.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To difficulty
00:10
Difficulty is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
Collins
World English Dictionary
difficulty (ˈdɪfɪkəltɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n , pl -ties
1.  the state or quality of being difficult
2.  a task, problem, etc, that is hard to deal with
3.  (often plural) a troublesome or embarrassing situation, esp a financial one
4.  a dispute or disagreement
5.  (often plural) an objection or obstacle: he always makes difficulties
6.  a trouble or source of trouble; worry
7.  lack of ease; awkwardness: he could run only with difficulty
 
[C14: from Latin difficultās, from difficilis difficult, from dis- not + facilis easy, facile]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

difficulty
late 14c., from O.Fr. difficulte, from L. difficultatem (nom. difficultus), from difficilis "hard," from dis- "not, away from" + facilis "easy" (see facile).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Example sentences
One problem with research of this kind is the difficulty involved in controlling potential confounding variables.
The first problem he noticed was a difficulty seeing at night, a common early symptom.
Every family member with the mutation had great difficulty speaking.
In the past the main problem with asynchronous induction motors was the
  difficulty of varying their speed.
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT