The word “difficult” is a word in the English language that has multipurpose uses. Now we will examine how “difficult’’ plays the role of an adjective or noun.
The word “difficult’’ is certainly regarded as an adjective as it describes a noun or its equivalent. It expresses a meaning not easy to do, deal with or understand. As an adjective, it describes a noun or noun equivalent and as a noun, it refers to a condition or problem.
Let us discuss how the word “difficult’’ plays the role of an adjective and as a noun along with some facts and examples in an interesting way.
An adjective is a part of speech that plays the role of a modifier of the noun, pronoun, or noun equivalent. Let us check when the word “difficult” is an adjective.
The word “difficult’’ is undoubtedly considered as an adjective when it performs the role of a modifier of the noun or its equivalent while framing a sentence or phrase.
Let us follow the table to go through the aspects when the word “difficult” is an adjective.
| Situation | Example | Explanation |
| 1. The word “difficult’’ is an adjective when it is used to refer to anything that is not easy to do. | I am unable to confirm the time when I will return home. | In this example, the word “difficult’’ acts as an adjective and indicates the uneasiness to confirm the time. |
| 2. We can use “difficult’’ as an adjective when we refer to hard situations or conditions that cause a lot of problems and make it hard to succeed. | The rural people are in difficult conditions to escape from severe floods every year. | In this sentence, the word “difficult’’ ad an adjective refers to the conditions that are hard for people. |
| 3. The word “difficult’’ can be used as an adjective when we refer to someone who is not happy or satisfied with anything. | Mary had a difficult childhood. | Here the word “difficult’’ plays the role of an adjective and modifies the noun “childhood’’. It shows that someone is unhappy with the condition. |
| 4. We can use “difficult’’ as an adjective when we need to show something that is not convenient or involves a lot of problems. | The evenings are difficult to pass along. | In this scenario, the word “difficult’’ works as an adjective and acts as a modifier of the noun “evenings”. |
Is “difficult’’ a descriptive adjective?
A descriptive adjective is one type of adjective that describes the noun and a pronoun. Here we will explain whether “difficult’’ is a descriptive adjective.
The word “difficult’’ is definitely regarded as a descriptive adjective as it plays the role of a modifier of the noun, pronoun, or noun equivalent.
Let us look at the table where the examples and detailed explanations are provided on the usage of “difficult’’ as a descriptive adjective.
| Example | Explanation |
| 1. The question is very difficult for the students to answer. | In this example, the word “difficult’’ is used as a descriptive adjective and modifies the noun “question’’. |
| 2. Suman was given some difficult sums to solve. | Here the word “difficult’’ plays the role of a descriptive adjective that describes the noun “sums’’. |
| 3. It is very difficult to walk on muddy roads in the monsoon. | It is found that the word “difficult’’ is used as a descriptive adjective here. |
| 4. The teacher always asks me to solve difficult problems. | In this sentence, it is seen that the word “difficult’’ acts as a descriptive adjective and describes the noun “problems’’. |
| 5. Roger spent a difficult childhood being an orphan. | Here the word “difficult’’ describes the noun “problems’’ and acts as a descriptive adjective. |
Is “difficult” a noun?
A noun is a part of speech that names the pace, person, or thing. Now we will discuss if the word “difficult’’ is a noun or not.
The word “difficult’’ is regarded as a noun as it is used to refer to some situations or conditions.
When is “difficult’’ a noun?
We are certain to use the word “difficult’’ as a noun when “difficulty” is framed by adding the suffix “y’’ with the root word and giving us the meaning of condition or problem.
Now, let us have a look at the table where the examples are given on the usage of “difficult’’ as a noun.
| Example | Explanation |
| 1. George was speaking with great difficulty. | Here the word “difficulty’’ works as a noun and refers to the condition of someone. |
| 2. Soham is in great difficulty running a large family with this small income. | In this example, the word “difficulty’’ has been used as a noun and refers to some condition. |
| 3. Do not avoid difficulties in life. | Here the word “difficulties’’ acts as a noun and indicates the conditions of life. |
| 4. Some difficulties surround the poor people of our locality. | Here we see that the word “difficulties’’ works as a noun and refers to the conditions the people have to face. |
| 5. Ranjan has difficulty in his leg playing in the match today. | Here it is found that the word “difficulty’’ also acts as a noun and has the reference to a problem in the lag. |
Conclusion
The present article is on the usage of “difficult’’ as an adjective and as a noun. It will be very helpful to us for framing any sentence using the right forms. The thorough and careful reading of the article will be much beneficial to us.
Table of Contents
- Is difficult an adjective or an adverb?
- Why is difficult an adjective?
- Is difficult a noun?
- Which noun is poor?
- What are 10 abstract nouns?
- Is love an abstract noun?
- Is good an abstract noun?
- Is age an abstract noun?
- How do you identify an abstract noun?
- Is won an abstract noun?
- Is joy an abstract noun?
- What is the abstract noun for just?
- Is personality an abstract noun?
- What are 3 abstract nouns?
- What kind of noun is personality?
- Is enemy an abstract noun?
- Is laughter an abstract noun?
- Is fun an abstract noun?
- Is slavery an abstract noun?
- Why is slavery an abstract noun?
- What is the abstract noun of Boy?
- What is the abstract noun for long?
- What is the abstract noun for free?
- What is the abstract noun for strong?
- What is the abstract noun for beautiful?
- What type of noun is strong?
- What is noun form of strong?
- Is strong a noun or a verb?
hard
Is difficult an adjective or an adverb?
Native speakers sometimes confuse adverbs and adjectives. The words hard and hardly are especially difficult. Hard is both an adjective and an adverb. Hardly is an adverb.
adjective. not easily or readily done; requiring much labor, skill, or planning to be performed successfully; hard: a difficult job. hard to understand or solve: a difficult problem.
Is difficult a noun?
The state of being difficult, or hard to do. An obstacle that hinders achievement of a goal.
Which noun is poor?
Answer. The word ‘poor’ is a noun, a plural, uncountable noun; a word for people of little means in general. Example use: The government has many programs to help the poor . The noun form of the adjective ‘poor’ is ‘poorness’.
What are 10 abstract nouns?
10 Examples of Abstract Noun
- Anger.
- Charity.
- Deceit.
- Evil.
- Idea.
- Hope.
- Luck.
- Patience.
Is love an abstract noun?
For example, the word love is an abstract noun.
Is good an abstract noun?
Abstract Noun Examples Good, an adjective, becomes the abstract noun goodness. Hate, a verb, transforms into the abstract noun hatred. Concrete nouns, in opposition, are tangible and experienced by the senses.
Is age an abstract noun?
Answer. I.e Age is abstract noun of Age.
How do you identify an abstract noun?
An abstract noun is a noun that cannot be perceived using one of the five senses (i.e., taste, touch, sight, hearing, smelling). Look at the examples below: We can’t imagine the courage it took to do that. Courage is an abstract noun because it cannot be seen, heard, tasted, touched, or smelled.
Is won an abstract noun?
Answer. The abstract noun of win is victory.
Is joy an abstract noun?
Abstract nouns are ideas, feelings or qualities such as love, hate, kindness, fear, anger, imagination, courage, intelligence, loneliness, happiness, sadness, bravery, cowardice, embarrassment, joy, beauty, ugliness, confidence, luck, misfortune, mischief, bitterness, justice, injustice, grief, boredom, cheerfulness.
What is the abstract noun for just?
justice
Is personality an abstract noun?
Countable versus Uncountable Abstract Nouns The abstract count nouns, can be made plural, and are usually preceded by an article (a, an, the)Opens in new window or other adjectival qualifiers. Countable nouns include: idea, religion, challenge, fear, personality, etc.
What are 3 abstract nouns?
Examples of abstract nouns include liberty, anger, freedom, love, generosity, charity, and democracy. Notice that these nouns express ideas, concepts, or qualities that cannot be seen or experienced. We cannot see, hear, touch, taste, or smell these concepts.
What kind of noun is personality?
1[countable, uncountable] the various aspects of a person’s character that combine to make them different from other people His wife has a strong personality.
Is enemy an abstract noun?
The ABSTRACT NOUN of enemy is enemity. The abstract noun of enemy is enmity. The answer is ‘Enmity’.
Is laughter an abstract noun?
For example, “laughter” is often cited as an abstract noun, but “laughter” can be heard, which would make it a concrete noun. It is fairly easy to make cases for these being concrete nouns, but they are classified as abstract nouns.
Is fun an abstract noun?
It is the situation or the act of being funny. An ‘abstract noun’ is a state or a quality of something. Funniness implies the state of being funny. Other ‘abstract nouns’ for funny include amusement, comical, happiness, hilarious, humorous.
Is slavery an abstract noun?
The abstract noun form of the word slave is slavery.
Why is slavery an abstract noun?
Answer: The abstract noun of the slave is slavery. Abstract nouns are that parts of speeches that do not define any object or things in a concrete manner. It is very difficult to determine and differentiate between an abstract noun and a concrete noun, and the edges of defining them are not very clear.
What is the abstract noun of Boy?
boyhood
What is the abstract noun for long?
longing
What is the abstract noun for free?
a)freedom – This word is a noun, and it is grammatically correct. It is the noun form of ‘free’ which is made by adding the suffix ‘-dom’ to the adjective.
What is the abstract noun for strong?
strength
What is the abstract noun for beautiful?
beauty
What type of noun is strong?
Abstract nouns are concepts that are not tangible, such as bravery, compassion, and curiosity. The word ”strong” has a corresponding abstract noun.
What is noun form of strong?
Answer: Strength is the noun form of strong.
Is strong a noun or a verb?
strong (adjective) strong–arm (adjective) strong–arm (verb) strong–minded (adjective)
Question
Обновлено на
1 авг. 2019
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Русский
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Английский (британский вариант)
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Английский (американский вариант)
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Испанский
Вопрос про Английский (американский вариант)
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6 нояб. 2017
difficulty is a noun, difficult is an adjective. «We faced many difficulties on the road». «Stop being so difficult and do as I tell you!»
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Английский (американский вариант)
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Вьетнамский
Практически свободно говорящий
Difficult is an adjective describing how hard it is to do something.
Difficulty is noun that means troubles or something that is being difficult.
difficulty is a noun, difficult is an adjective. «We faced many difficulties on the road». «Stop being so difficult and do as I tell you!»
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Русский
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Русский
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В чем разница между Hard и Difficult ?
ответ
Generally, «Hard» has two meanings but «difficult» only has one.
The word “Hard” can mean a physical property of a substance, for example, …
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В чем разница между Difficult и Hard ?
ответ
They mean the same thing.
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В чем разница между Difficulty и Complexity ?
ответ
@Alice_Snow
It is difficult to push a car up a hill with your hands. But it is not complex. In fact, it’s incredibly un-complex — just star…
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В чем разница между Difficult и Hard ?
ответ
Hard can be used casually in place of difficult. Also, hard can be used to describe the solidity of an object:
«That test was difficult.»
«T… -
В чем разница между Hardship и Difficulty ?
ответ
As nouns the difference between hardship and difficulty
is that hardship is (countable or uncountable) difficulty or trouble; hard times whi… -
В чем разница между Difficult и Hard ?
ответ
Difficult just has one meaning: not easy
Hard has other meanings too: not easy, not softSometimes, «hard» and «difficult» can be interchang…
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Покажите мне примеры предложений с Difficulty .
ответ
“this test has a high level of difficulty”
“i can’t do it. the level of difficulty is too high.”
“the class couldn’t complete the homework….
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В чем разница между Difficult и Hard ?
ответ
Hard pode ser «duro »
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- Dictionary
- D
- Difficult
Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [dif-i-kuhlt, -kuh lt]
- /ˈdɪf ɪˌkʌlt, -kəlt/
- /ˈdɪfɪkəlt/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [dif-i-kuhlt, -kuh lt]
- /ˈdɪf ɪˌkʌlt, -kəlt/
Definitions of difficult word
- adjective difficult not easily or readily done; requiring much labor, skill, or planning to be performed successfully; hard: a difficult job. 2
- adjective difficult hard to understand or solve: a difficult problem. 1
- adjective difficult hard to deal with or get on with: a difficult pupil. 1
- adjective difficult hard to please or satisfy: a difficult employer. 1
- adjective difficult hard to persuade or induce; stubborn: a difficult old man. 1
- adjective difficult disadvantageous; trying; hampering: The operation was performed under the most difficult conditions. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of difficult
First appearance:
before 1350
One of the 20% oldest English words
1350-1400; Middle English, back formation from difficulty
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Difficult
difficult popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 94% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between «mom» and «screwdriver».
Synonyms for difficult
adj difficult
- troublesome — causing trouble, annoyance, or difficulty; vexatious: a troublesome situation; a troublesome person.
- crucial — If you describe something as crucial, you mean it is extremely important.
- tough — strong and durable; not easily broken or cut.
- problematic — of the nature of a problem; doubtful; uncertain; questionable.
- arduous — Something that is arduous is difficult and tiring, and involves a lot of effort.
adjective difficult
- hard — not soft; solid and firm to the touch; unyielding to pressure and impenetrable or almost impenetrable.
- tricky — given to or characterized by deceitful tricks; crafty; wily.
- complicated — If you say that something is complicated, you mean it has so many parts or aspects that it is difficult to understand or deal with.
- testing — the means by which the presence, quality, or genuineness of anything is determined; a means of trial.
- tiring — Archaic. to dress (the head or hair), especially with a headdress.
Antonyms for difficult
adj difficult
- helpful — giving or rendering aid or assistance; of service: Your comments were very helpful.
- trivial — of very little importance or value; insignificant: Don’t bother me with trivial matters.
- facile — moving, acting, working, proceeding, etc., with ease, sometimes with superficiality: facile fingers; a facile mind.
- effortless — requiring or involving no effort; displaying no signs of effort; easy: an effortless writing style.
- manageable — that can be managed; governable; tractable; contrivable.
adjective difficult
- amenable — If you are amenable to something, you are willing to do it or accept it.
Top questions with difficult
- how to deal with difficult people?
- what makes it difficult to control human population growth?
- how can you show good sportsmanship in a difficult situation?
- what is the most difficult sport?
- why are fixed expenses difficult to reduce?
- how to deal with a difficult boss?
- how to deal with difficult coworkers?
- how to deal with difficult employees?
- how to deal with a difficult baby mama?
- tell me how you handled a difficult situation?
- how to deal with difficult people at work?
- describe a difficult situation and how you handled it?
- which term means difficult or labored breathing?
- how to make difficult decisions?
- how do you say difficult in spanish?
See also
- All definitions of difficult
- Synonyms for difficult
- Antonyms for difficult
- Related words to difficult
- Sentences with the word difficult
- Words that rhyme with difficult
- difficult pronunciation
Matching words
- Words starting with d
- Words starting with di
- Words starting with dif
- Words starting with diff
- Words starting with diffi
- Words starting with diffic
- Words starting with difficu
- Words starting with difficul
- Words starting with difficult
- Words ending with t
- Words ending with lt
- Words ending with ult
- Words ending with cult
- Words containing the letters d
- Words containing the letters d,i
- Words containing the letters d,i,f
- Words containing the letters d,i,f,c
- Words containing the letters d,i,f,c,u
- Words containing the letters d,i,f,c,u,l
- Words containing d
- Words containing di
- Words containing dif
- Words containing diff
- Words containing diffi
- Words containing diffic
What is another word for “difficult ”? List of different ways to say “difficult” in English with meaning and examples. Learning these synonyms for “difficult” helps increase your vocabulary words and improve your English writing.
Table of Contents
Difficult Synonyms
Difficult Definition and Examples
Meaning of Difficult: The word difficult is an adjective. The word is used to describe a complex and sensitive situation or a person who is incredibly hard to deal with.
Examples:
- Working with Mary every day is extremely difficult since her personality is the opposite of mine.
- Everyone must face the difficult inevitability that their parents will pass away at some point.
- Math was the most difficult subject for me when I was a student.
Other Words for “Difficult”
Commonly used synonyms for “Difficult”.
- Abstract
- Abstruse
- Ambiguous
- Arduous
- Tough
- Complex
- Complicated
- Confusing
- Baffling
- Burdensome
- Convoluted
- Daunting
- Demanding
- Strenuous
- Elusive
- Grueling
- Hairy
- Hard
- Heavy
- Inflexible
- Knotty
- Laborious
- Obstinate
- Prickly
- Problematic
- Punishing
- Rigid
- Rocky
- Rough
- Rugged
- Stiff
- Thorny
- Tortuous
Big list of 110+ different words to use instead of “difficult”.
- Abstract
- Abstruse
- Ambiguous
- Ambitious
- Arduous
- Awkward
- Backbreaking
- Baffling
- Burdensome
- Byzantine
- Challenging
- Complex
- Complicated
- Composite
- Confusing
- Convoluted
- Critical
- Cruel
- Daedal
- Daunting
- Delicate
- Demanding
- Dire
- Distressing
- Disturbing
- Easy
- Elaborate
- Elusive
- Esoteric
- Exacting
- Exhausting
- Fastidious
- Finicky
- Formidable
- Fussy
- Gordian
- Grave
- Grievous
- Grinding
- Grueling
- Grungy
- Hairy
- Hard
- Hard to understand
- Harder
- Hardest
- Hard-nosed
- Harsh
- Heavy
- Hefty
- Hurt
- Impossible
- Inextricable
- Inflexible
- Intractable
- Intricate
- Involved
- Knotted
- Knotty
- Laborious
- Labyrinthine
- Nasty
- Not easy
- Obscure
- Obstinate
- Onerous
- Operose
- Oppressive
- Painful
- Particular
- Perplexed
- Perplexing
- Precarious
- Prickly
- Problem
- Problematic
- Problematical
- Profound
- Punishing
- Rigid
- Rocky
- Rough
- Rude
- Rugged
- Sad
- Sensitive
- Serious
- Severe
- Sophisticated
- Sore
- Sticky
- Stiff
- Strenuous
- Stressful
- Stubborn
- Taxing
- Tearful
- Thorny
- Ticklish
- Tight
- Toilful
- Toilsome
- Tortuous
- Tough
- Tricky
- Troubled
- Troublesome
- Trying
- Unbearable
- Unmanageable
- Unpleasant
- Uphill
- Weighty
“Difficult” Synonyms with Example Sentences
List of 33 synonyms for “difficult” with examples.
Abstract
- Example: Truth and beauty are abstract concepts.
Abstruse
- Example: Your statement is a bit too abstruse.
Ambiguous
- Example: He gave me an ambiguous answer.
Arduous
- Example: She undertook the arduous task of monitoring the elections.
Tough
- Example: It was a tough decision to make.
Complex
- Example: Tom’s explanation was too complex.
Complicated
- Example: A complicated system of sewers runs under the city.
Confusing
- Example: All this information can be confusing to the user.
Baffling
- Example: He put forward a baffling question.
Burdensome
- Example: The new regulations will be burdensome for small businesses.
Convoluted
- Example: His grammar explanations are terribly convoluted.
Daunting
- Example: Travelling alone around the world is a daunting prospect.
Demanding
- Example: He found the rigours of the tour too demanding.
Strenuous
- Example: The doctor advised Ken to avoid strenuous exercise.
Elusive
- Example: She managed to get an interview with that elusive man.
Grueling
- Example: He must also embark on a grueling course of longer-term reforms.
Hairy
- Example: Driving on icy roads can be pretty hairy.
Hard
- Example: It is easy to open a shop but hard to keep it always open.
Heavy
- Example: He has a heavy teaching load this year.
Inflexible
- Example: The new plastic is completely inflexible.
Knotty
- Example: She met with a lot of knotty problems.
Laborious
- Example: They had the laborious task of cutting down the huge tree.
Obstinate
- Example: He is obstinate and determined and will not give up.
Prickly
- Example: His skin felt painful and prickly.
Problematic
- Example: The future of our business is problematic.
Punishing
- Example: He set himself a punishing schedule of conferences.
Rigid
- Example: Her face was rigid with terror.
Rocky
- Example: They hurried over the rough rocky ground.
Rough
- Example: Their car bumped along the rough mountain road.
Rugged
- Example: The countryside around here is very rugged.
Stiff
- Example: I felt stiff after a long walk.
Thorny
- Example: The young captain is pondering over a thorny problem.
Tortuous
- Example: He took a tortuous route through back streets.
Another Word for “Difficult” | Image
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Difficult Synonyms: 30+ Useful Synonyms for Difficult
Last Updated on December 17, 2020
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1
as in challenging
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
difficult questions on the exam that required analytical thinking
2
as in tough
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
it’s a difficult situation when two of your friends are quarreling and you’re trying to stay out of it
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Synonym Chooser
How is the word difficult different from other adjectives like it?
The words arduous and hard are common synonyms of difficult. While all three words mean «demanding great exertion or effort,» difficult implies the presence of obstacles to be surmounted or puzzles to be resolved and suggests the need of skill or courage.
the difficult ascent of the mountain
When would arduous be a good substitute for difficult?
While in some cases nearly identical to difficult, arduous stresses the need of laborious and persevering exertion.
the arduous task of rebuilding
When could hard be used to replace difficult?
In some situations, the words hard and difficult are roughly equivalent. However, hard implies the opposite of all that is easy.
Thesaurus Entries Near difficult
Cite this Entry
“Difficult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/difficult. Accessed 14 Apr. 2023.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged