adj · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈdɪfɪkəlt/
UK:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:D IH1 F AH0 K AH0 L T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Hard, not easy, requiring much effort.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
difficult of accomplishment
However, the difficult weather conditions will ensure Yunnan has plenty of freshwater.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Hard to manage, uncooperative, troublesome.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: often
Qualifier: or a horse; etc; or a horse; etc
Examples
Stop being difficult and eat your broccoli—you know it's good for you.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Unable or unwilling.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To make difficult, hinder; to impede; to perplex.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
Examples
August 9 1678, William Temple, letter to Joseph Williamson their Excellencies having desisted from their pretensions , which had difficulted the peace
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adjective
Meaning 5
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a difficult task
nesting places on the cliffs are difficult of access
difficult times
why is it so hard for you to keep a secret?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: hard
Antonyms: easy
6
adjective
Meaning 6
hard to control,
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a difficult child
an unmanageable situation
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: unmanageable
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English difficult (ca. 1400), a back-formation from difficulte (whence modern difficulty), from Old French difficulté, from Latin difficultas, from difficul, older form of difficilis (“hard to do, difficult”), from dis- + facilis (“easy”); see difficile. Replaced native Middle English earveþ (“difficult, hard”), from Old English earfoþe (“difficult, laborious, full of hardship”), cognate to German Arbeit (“work”). The verb is from the adjective, partly after Middle French difficulter and its etymon Latin difficultō. Compare difficilitate, difficultate, and Italian difficoltare.
Across languages
Translations
239 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
moeilik
— hard, not easy
Albanian:
i vështirë
— hard, not easy
Amharic:
አስቸጋሪ
(ʾäsčägari)
— hard, not easy
Arabic:
صَعْب
(ṣaʕb)
— hard, not easy
Arabic:
واعر
(waʕr)
— hard, not easy
Armenian:
դժվար
(džvar)
— hard, not easy
Armenian:
բարդ
(bard)
— hard, not easy
Armenian:
ծանր
(canr)
— hard, not easy
Assamese:
টান
(tan)
— hard, not easy
Asturian:
difícil
— hard, not easy
Azerbaijani:
çətin
— hard, not easy
Azerbaijani:
düşvar
— hard, not easy
Bashkir:
ҡыйын
(qıyın)
— hard, not easy
Bashkir:
ауыр
(awır)
— hard, not easy
Basque:
nekez
— hard, not easy
Basque:
zail
— hard, not easy
Belarusian:
ця́жкі
(cjážki)
— hard, not easy
Belarusian:
тру́дны
(trúdny)
— hard, not easy
Bengali:
কঠিন
(koṭhin)
— hard, not easy
Central Bikol:
dipisil
— hard, not easy
Central Bikol:
masakit
— hard, not easy
Breton:
diaes
— hard, not easy
Bulgarian:
тру́ден
(trúden)
— hard, not easy
Bulgarian:
мъ́чен
(mǎ́čen)
— hard, not easy
Bulgarian:
те́жък
(téžǎk)
— hard, not easy
Burmese:
ခဲယဉ်း
(hkai:yany:)
— hard, not easy
Burmese:
ခက်
(hkak)
— hard, not easy
Catalan:
difícil
— hard, not easy
Cebuano:
lisud
— hard, not easy
Chamicuro:
yeewa
— hard, not easy
Chechen:
хала
(xala)
— hard, not easy
Cherokee:
ᎤᏦᏍᏗ
(utsosdi)
— hard, not easy
Cherokee:
ᏍᏓᏯ
(sdaya)
— hard, not easy
Chinese Cantonese:
難 /难
(naan4)
— hard, not easy
Chinese Cantonese:
困難 /困难
(kwan3 naan4)
— hard, not easy
Chinese Mandarin:
難 /难
(nán)
— hard, not easy
Chinese Mandarin:
困難 /困难
(kùnnán)
— hard, not easy
Chinese Mandarin:
艱難 /艰难
(jiānnán)
— hard, not easy
Wu Chinese:
難 /难
— hard, not easy
Choctaw:
pʋlʋmmi
— hard, not easy
Chukchi:
аӈъачеты
(aṇʺačety)
— hard, not easy
Crimean Tatar:
qıyın
— hard, not easy
Czech:
obtížný
— hard, not easy
Czech:
těžký
— hard, not easy
Danish:
vanskelig
— hard, not easy
Dutch:
moeilijk
— hard, not easy
Egyptian:
q-qs-n:nDs
(qsn)
— hard, not easy
Esperanto:
malfacila
— hard, not easy
Estonian:
keeruline
— hard, not easy
Ewe:
sẽ̌
— hard, not easy
Faroese:
torførur
— hard, not easy
Finnish:
vaikea
— hard, not easy
Finnish:
hankala
— hard, not easy
French:
difficile
— hard, not easy
West-Frisian:
swier
— hard, not easy
Galician:
difícil
— hard, not easy
Galician:
arrevesado
— hard, not easy
Georgian:
ძნელი
(ʒneli)
— hard, not easy
Georgian:
რთული
(rtuli)
— hard, not easy
Georgian:
მძიმე
(mʒime)
— hard, not easy
German:
schwer
— hard, not easy
German:
schwierig
— hard, not easy
Gothic:
𐌰𐌲𐌻𐌿𐍃
(aglus)
— hard, not easy
Greek:
δύσκολος
(dýskolos)
— hard, not easy
Ancient Greek:
χαλεπός
(khalepós)
— hard, not easy
Ancient Greek:
δυσχερής
(duskherḗs)
— hard, not easy
Greenlandic:
sapernarpoq
— hard, not easy
Gujarati:
કઠિન
(kaṭhin)
— hard, not easy
Haitian Creole:
difisil
— hard, not easy
Hebrew:
קָשֶׁה
(kashé)
— hard, not easy
Hebrew:
מסובך
(mesubbakh)
— hard, not easy
Hindi:
कठिन
(kaṭhin)
— hard, not easy
Hindi:
विकट
(vikaṭ)
— hard, not easy
Hindi:
मुश्किल
(muśkil)
— hard, not easy
Hindi:
दुश्वार
(duśvār)
— hard, not easy
Hindi:
दूभर
(dūbhar)
— hard, not easy
Hungarian:
nehéz
— hard, not easy
Icelandic:
erfiður
— hard, not easy
Ido:
desfacila
— hard, not easy
Ilocano:
narigat
— hard, not easy
Indonesian:
sukar
— hard, not easy
Indonesian:
susah
— hard, not easy
Indonesian:
sulit
— hard, not easy
Ingush:
хала
(xala)
— hard, not easy
Interlingua:
difficile
— hard, not easy
Irish:
deacair
— hard, not easy
Old Irish:
ansae
— hard, not easy
Italian:
difficile
— hard, not easy
Japanese:
難しい
(muzukashii)
— hard, not easy
Japanese:
困難な
(konnan na)
— hard, not easy
Jeju:
어렵다
(eoryeopda)
— hard, not easy
Jeju:
심들다
(simdeulda)
— hard, not easy
Kabuverdianu:
puxadu
— hard, not easy
Kabuverdianu:
pexóde
— hard, not easy
Kabuverdianu:
rabés
— hard, not easy
Kannada:
ಕಟ್
(kaṭ)
— hard, not easy
Kazakh:
қиын
(qiyn)
— hard, not easy
Kazakh:
ауыр
(auyr)
— hard, not easy
Khmer:
ពិបាក
(pi’baak)
— hard, not easy
Khmer:
យ៉ាប់
(yap)
— hard, not easy
Korean:
어렵다
(eoryeopda)
— hard, not easy
Korean:
힘들다
(himdeulda)
— hard, not easy
Central Kurdish:
زەحمەت
(zeḧmet)
— hard, not easy
Central Kurdish:
گران
(gran)
— hard, not easy
Central Kurdish:
سەخت
(sext)
— hard, not easy
Kyrgyz:
кыйын
(kıyın)
— hard, not easy
Kyrgyz:
оор
(oor)
— hard, not easy
Ladino:
difísil
— hard, not easy
Ladino:
zor
— hard, not easy
Lao:
ຍາກ
(nyāk)
— hard, not easy
Latin:
difficilis
— hard, not easy
Latvian:
sarežģīts
— hard, not easy
Latvian:
grūts
— hard, not easy
Lithuanian:
sunkus
— hard, not easy
Macedonian:
тежок
(težok)
— hard, not easy
Macedonian:
мачен
(mačen)
— hard, not easy
Malay:
sukar
— hard, not easy
Malay:
susah
— hard, not easy
Brunei Malay:
payah
— hard, not easy
Maltese:
diffiċli
— hard, not easy
Manx:
doillee
— hard, not easy
Manx:
creoi
— hard, not easy
Manx:
trome
— hard, not easy
Manx:
mooar
— hard, not easy
Manx:
neuaashagh
— hard, not easy
Māori:
whēuaua
— hard, not easy
Māori:
uaua
— hard, not easy
Māori:
taumaha hārukiruki
— hard, not easy
Marathi:
अवघड
(avghaḍ)
— hard, not easy
Marathi:
कठीण
(kaṭhīṇ)
— hard, not easy
Mirandese:
defícel
— hard, not easy
Mon:
ဝါတ်
(wāt)
— hard, not easy
Mongolian:
хэцүү
(xecüü)
— hard, not easy
Mongolian:
хүнд
(xünd)
— hard, not easy
Mongolian:
бэрх
(berx)
— hard, not easy
Mongolian:
хүчир
(xüčir)
— hard, not easy
Khiamniungan Naga:
tshīk
— hard, not easy
Navajo:
nantłʼah
— hard, not easy
Norwegian:
vanskelig
— hard, not easy
Occitan:
malaisit
— hard, not easy
Occitan:
dificil
— hard, not easy
Church Slavic:
тѩжькъ
(tjęžĭkŭ)
— hard, not easy
Old English:
earfoþe
— hard, not easy
Pashto:
ګران
(grân)
— hard, not easy
Pashto:
مشکل
(muškil)
— hard, not easy
Persian:
دشوار
(došvâr)
— hard, not easy
Persian:
مشکل
(moškel)
— hard, not easy
Persian:
سخت
(saxt)
— hard, not easy
Persian:
صعب
(sa'b)
— hard, not easy
Polish:
trudny
— hard, not easy
Polish:
ciężki
— hard, not easy
Portuguese:
difícil
— hard, not easy
Punjabi:
ਕਠਿਨ
(kaṭhin)
— hard, not easy
Quechua:
sasa
— hard, not easy
Romanian:
greu
— hard, not easy
Romanian:
dificil
— hard, not easy
Romanian:
anevoios
— hard, not easy
Romanian:
complicat
— hard, not easy
Russian:
тру́дный
(trúdnyj)
— hard, not easy
Russian:
тяжёлый
(tjažólyj)
— hard, not easy
Russian:
тя́жкий
(tjážkij)
— hard, not easy
Russian:
сло́жный
(slóžnyj)
— hard, not easy
Northern Sami:
váttis
— hard, not easy
Samoan:
faigatā
— hard, not easy
Sanskrit:
कठिन
(kaṭhina)
— hard, not easy
Scottish Gaelic:
doirbh
— hard, not easy
Scottish Gaelic:
mì-fhurasda
— hard, not easy
Scottish Gaelic:
cruaidh
— hard, not easy
Scottish Gaelic:
trom
— hard, not easy
Scottish Gaelic:
duilich
— hard, not easy
Serbo-Croatian:
тежак
— hard, not easy
Serbo-Croatian:
težak
— hard, not easy
Sinhalese:
අමාරු
(amāru)
— hard, not easy
Slovak:
obtiažny
— hard, not easy
Slovak:
ťažký
— hard, not easy
Slovene:
težek
— hard, not easy
Upper Sorbian:
ćežki
— hard, not easy
Spanish:
difícil
— hard, not easy
Spanish:
dificultoso
— hard, not easy
Swedish:
svår
— hard, not easy
Tagalog:
mahirap
— hard, not easy
Tahitian:
fifi
— hard, not easy
Tajik:
мушкил
(muškil)
— hard, not easy
Tajik:
душвор
(dušvor)
— hard, not easy
Tajik:
сахт
(saxt)
— hard, not easy
Tamil:
கடினமான
(kaṭiṉamāṉa)
— hard, not easy
Tatar:
кыен
(qıyın)
— hard, not easy
Tatar:
авыр
(awır)
— hard, not easy
Tày:
cáo quán
— hard, not easy
Telugu:
కఠినమైన
(kaṭhinamaina)
— hard, not easy
Telugu:
కష్టమైన
(kaṣṭamaina)
— hard, not easy
Tetum:
susar
— hard, not easy
Thai:
ยาก
(yâak)
— hard, not easy
Thai:
ลําบาก
(lam-bàak)
— hard, not easy
Tibetan:
ཁག་པོ
(khag po)
— hard, not easy
Tibetan:
དཀའ་ལས་ཁག་པོ
(dka' las khag po)
— hard, not easy
Tibetan:
དཀའ་མོ
(dka' mo)
— hard, not easy
Tibetan:
དཀའ་ངལ་ཅན
(dka' ngal can)
— hard, not easy
Tocharian B:
waimene
— hard, not easy
Tocharian B:
āmāskai
— hard, not easy
Tokelauan:
fagatā
— hard, not easy
Tongan:
faingataʻa
— hard, not easy
Turkish:
zor
— hard, not easy
Turkish:
güç
— hard, not easy
Turkish:
müşkül
— hard, not easy
Turkish:
çetin
— hard, not easy
Turkish:
kıyın
— hard, not easy
Turkish:
düşvar
— hard, not easy
Turkish:
ağır
— hard, not easy
Ottoman Turkish:
دشوار
(düşvâr)
— hard, not easy
Turkmen:
çatak
— hard, not easy
Turkmen:
çetin
— hard, not easy
Turkmen:
kyn
— hard, not easy
Turkmen:
müçgil
— hard, not easy
Ukrainian:
важки́й
(važkýj)
— hard, not easy
Ukrainian:
трудни́й
(trudnýj)
— hard, not easy
Urdu:
مشکل
(muśkil)
— hard, not easy
Urdu:
دشوار
(duśvār)
— hard, not easy
Urdu:
کٹھن
(kaṭhin)
— hard, not easy
Uyghur:
قىيىن
(qiyin)
— hard, not easy
Uyghur:
مۈشكۈل
(müshkül)
— hard, not easy
Uzbek:
qiyin
— hard, not easy
Uzbek:
mushkul
— hard, not easy
Uzbek:
murakkab
— hard, not easy
Vietnamese:
khó
— hard, not easy
Vietnamese:
khó khăn
— hard, not easy
Volapük:
fikulik
— hard, not easy
Welsh:
anodd
— hard, not easy
Welsh:
caled
— hard, not easy
Yiddish:
שווער
(shver)
— hard, not easy
Yiddish:
האַרב
(harb)
— hard, not easy
Yoruba:
le
— hard, not easy
Dutch:
moeilijk
— hard to manage (said of a person, horse, etc.)
German:
schwierig
— hard to manage (said of a person, horse, etc.)
Ancient Greek:
χαλεπός
(khalepós)
— hard to manage (said of a person, horse, etc.)
Icelandic:
erfiður
— hard to manage (said of a person, horse, etc.)
Irish:
ciotach
— hard to manage (said of a person, horse, etc.)
Kabuverdianu:
rabés
— hard to manage (said of a person, horse, etc.)
Latin:
difficilis
— hard to manage (said of a person, horse, etc.)