problem
[noun]
Synonyms:
- difficulty, complication, dilemma, dispute, predicament, quandary, trouble
- puzzle, conundrum, enigma, poser, question, riddle

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Related Idioms: a hard nut to crack
Related Words: enigma, mystery, puzzle, bugaboo, bugbear, count, point

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English Thesaurus: illness, disease, infection, condition, problem, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

prob‧lem S1 W1 /ˈprɒbləm $ ˈprɑː-/ noun [countable]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: problème, from Latin problema, from Greek, 'something thrown forward', from proballein 'to throw forward']

1. DIFFICULTY a situation that causes difficulties:
She was older than me, but that wasn’t really a problem.
problem of
The problem of street crime is getting worse every year.
problem with
I’ve been having a few problems with my car.

REGISTER
In writing, people sometimes prefer to use the word issue rather than problem, as it sounds more neutral and less negative:
the issue of race relations

2. something wrong with your health or with part of your body
health problem/problem with your health
Does she have any long-term health problems?
back/heart/kidney etc problem
If you have back problems you should avoid lifting heavy objects.
hearing problem
Many people with hearing problems try to hide their condition.
weight problem
She refuses to admit to herself that she has a weight problem.
emotional/psychological problem
Is this a sign of some kind of deeper psychological problem?

3. QUESTION a question for which you have to find the right answer, using mathematics or careful thought:
She gave us 20 mathematical problems to solve.

4. no problem spoken
a) used to say that you are happy to do something or for someone else to do something:
‘Can I bring a friend?’ ‘Sure, no problem.’
b) used after someone has said thank you or said that they are sorry:
‘Thanks for all your help.’ ‘No problem!’

5. have no problem (in) doing something to do something easily:
I’ve had no problem recruiting staff.

6. the (only) problem is (that) ... spoken used before saying what the main difficulty in a situation is:
The problem is, there isn’t enough time.

7. that’s your/his etc problem spoken used to say rudely that someone else is responsible for dealing with a situation, not you:
If you miss the train, that’s your problem.

8. it’s/that’s not my problem spoken used to say rudely that you are not responsible for dealing with a particular problem and are not willing to help:
‘We’ve got a serious staffing shortage.’ ‘That’s not my problem.’

9. What’s your/his etc problem? spoken informal used when you think that someone is behaving in a way that is unreasonable

10. Do you have a problem with that? spoken informal used to ask someone why they seem to disagree with you, in a way that shows that you are annoyed

11. problem child/family/drinker etc a child etc whose behaviour causes problems for other people

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

problem
noun
I. sth that causes difficulties
ADJ. acute, big, enormous, grave, great, serious Our greatest problem is the lack of funds.
little, minor, petty | complex, complicated, difficult, knotty, thorny | growing | basic, central, main, major | common | pressing, urgent | immediate | insoluble, insuperable, insurmountable, intractable Depression is a natural feeling if your problems seem intractable.
long-standing, long-term, perennial | practical | technical | attitude, behavioural, emotional, psychological His teachers say he has an attitude problem.
health, physical, sexual | back, heart, knee | drink, drug | social | housing | economic, financial They sold their car to ease their financial problems.
environmental | legal
VERB + PROBLEM be, pose, present (sb with) Inadequate resources pose a problem for all members of staff.
have | bring, cause, create Success brings its own problems. Staff shortages cause problems for the organization.
be beset with, be confronted by/with, be dogged by, be faced with, be fraught with, confront, encounter, face, run into He has been faced with all manner of problems in his new job. The scheme has been fraught with problems from the start.
raise She raised the problem of falling sales at the last meeting.
identify | consider, debate, discuss, look at/into | address, approach, attack, combat, come/get to grips with, grapple with, handle, tackle The next meeting will address the problem of truancy.
avoid, circumvent, find a way around/round, get around/round | clear up, cure, deal with, overcome, resolve, solve He had to undergo surgery to cure the problem with his knee.
alleviate, ease, reduce | exacerbate | analyse, explore
PROBLEM + VERB arise, come up, occur problems arising from poor ventilation
exist | persist, remain If the problem persists you should see a doctor. The basic problem remains the lack of housing available.
confront sb, face sb | lie in sth The problem lies in the lack of communication between managers and staff.
PROBLEM + NOUN area | child
PREP. ~ about I didn't imagine there would be a problem about getting tickets.
~ for The rail strike is a problem for all commuters.
~ of the problem of poverty
~ with Have you got a problem with her?
PHRASES an approach to a problem, the crux/heart/root of the problem We need to get to the root of the problem before we can solve it.
a remedy/solution to a problem, the scale of a problem

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

problem
II. question to be solved
ADJ. complicated, difficult | easy, simple | mathematical solving simple mathematical problems
VERB + PROBLEM do, find the answer to, solve I have five problems to do for homework.
PROBLEM + NOUN solving This kind of activity develops the children's problem-solving skills.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

problem

have a problem
We saw water rushing in and realised we had a serious problem.
cause/create a problem
The building’s lack of parking space could cause problems.
present/pose a problem (=cause it or make it have to be considered)
A shortage of trained nurses is posing major problems.
deal with/sort out a problem
The state has failed to deal with the problem of violence against women.
tackle/address a problem (=deal with it)
There is more than one way to tackle this problem.
solve/resolve a problem (also fix a problem informal)
He solved his financial problems by selling his car.
overcome a problem
We try to help families overcome housing problems.
face a problem
Terrorism is possibly the most important problem facing western countries.
raise a problem (=mention it, so that people can discuss it)
He also raised the problem of noise from planes taking off and landing.
encounter/experience a problem
You shouldn’t encounter any further problems.
a problem arises/occurs (also a problem comes up) (=it happens)
Problems may arise when the family wants to move house.
compound/exacerbate a problem formal (=make it worse)
The country’s economic problems are compounded by its ageing population.
the problem lies in/with something
The problem lies in the design of the rocket.
big/major/serious
The school’s biggest problem is a shortage of cash.
little/small/minor
Old cars often develop minor engine problems.
the main problem
The main problem for the climbers was lack of sleep.
a real problem
They quickly found that their real problem lay with marketing.
a difficult problem
Does the team have the skills to tackle these difficult problems?
a thorny/knotty problem (=difficult)
He still faced the thorny problem of finding a way out of the jungle.
a fundamental problem (=relating to the most basic and important parts of something )
The government has done little to solve the fundamental problems of poverty and crime.
a pressing problem (=one that needs to be dealt with very soon)
Lack of clean drinking water is the most pressing problem facing the refugees.
personal problems (=relating to your private life and relationships)
My daughter found it hard to talk about her personal problems.
family problems
She would never discuss family problems with outsiders.
financial/money problems
Our financial problems are over.
economic problems
He argued that the government was to blame for the country’s economic problems.
a technical problem
The delay was caused by technical problems.
a practical problem
Burying a pet can present practical problems.
an environmental problem
Air pollution is our most serious environmental problem.
a health/medical problem
Have you ever suffered from any of these health problems?
a back/heart/kidney etc problem
He was born with heart problems.
a hearing problem
There are special telephones for people with hearing problems.
a weight problem (=the problem of being too fat)
Patients with weight problems were put on a strict diet.
psychological problems (also mental health problems)
She is being treated for psychological problems at a mental hospital in Oxford.
emotional problems
He suffers from depression and other emotional problems.
behavioural problems
Many of these children have behavioural problems.
a serious/major problem
Lifting things carelessly can lead to serious back problems.
a minor problem
She has had some minor medical problems.
have a problem
He's always had a weight problem.
suffer (from) a problem
The patient began to suffer breathing problems.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

problem
noun
1.
BAD: I experienced problems to find the right accommodation.
GOOD: I experienced problems in finding the right accommodation.

Usage Note:
have/experience a problem/problems (in) doing sth (NOT to do ): 'You shouldn't have any problems in getting a visa.'

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2.
BAD: Unemployment is a very important problem.
GOOD: Unemployment is a very serious problem.

Usage Note:
a serious problem (NOT important ): 'Teenage vandalism is a serious problem in this area.'

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3.
BAD: When population growth is not controlled, serious problems can happen.
GOOD: When population growth is not controlled, serious problems can arise.

Usage Note:
problem + arise /occur (NOT happen ): 'How did the problem first arise?'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

illness something wrong with your health which makes you feel ill:
Her husband was in hospital for six months with a serious illness.
disease a particular illness, especially one that spreads to other people easily or that affects one part of your body:
childhood diseases such as measles and chickenpox
heart disease
infection an illness that is caused by bacteria or a virus:
His cough got worse and worse and became a chest infection.
condition a health problem that affects you permanently or for a long time:
a medical condition such as asthma
a heart condition
problem [usually after a noun] something that is wrong with a particular part of your body or your health in general:
a serious back problem
health problems
trouble [singular, only after a noun] illness or pain that affects a particular part of your body:
I’ve had a bit of stomach trouble.
disorder formal an illness that prevents a particular organ of your body from working properly, or affects the way you behave:
a liver disorder
a blood disorder
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder.
bug informal an illness that spreads to other people very easily but that is not very serious:
There’s a bug going round at school and a lot of the children are absent.
a flu bug
complaint medical an illness that affects a particular part of your body, especially one that is not very serious – used by doctors:
a minor skin complaint
Deakin suffers from a back complaint called arachnoiditis.
ailment /ˈeɪlmənt/ formal an illness that affects a particular part of your body, especially one that is not serious:
People often go to their doctor about relatively minor ailments.
The ointment is used to treat ailments such as small wounds and insect bites.
sickness the state of being ill, especially when it stops you working:
absence from work due to sickness
ill health formal the state of being ill, usually for a long period of time:
Research shows that there is a link between air pollution and ill health.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲