difficulty
[noun]
Synonyms:
- laboriousness, arduousness, awkwardness, hardship, strain, strenuousness, tribulation
- predicament, dilemma, embarrassment, hot water (informal), jam (informal), mess, plight, quandary, trouble
- problem, complication, hindrance, hurdle, impediment, obstacle, pitfall, snag, stumbling block

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Related Idioms: hard nut to crack, hard row to hoe, heavy sledding
Related Words: impediment, obstacle, obstruction, snag, dilemma, fix, jam, pickle, plight, predicament, quandary, scrape, emergency, exigency, pass, pinch, strait, bother, inconvenience, problem, trouble

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

dif‧fi‧cul‧ty S2 W1 /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/ noun (plural difficulties)
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: difficultas, from difficilis 'difficult', from facilis 'easy']

1. [uncountable] if you have difficulty doing something, it is difficult for you to do
have/experience difficulty (in) doing something
They had great difficulty in finding a replacement.
with/without difficulty
He got to his feet with difficulty.
► Do not say that someone ‘has difficulty to do something’. Say that someone has difficulty doing something or has difficulty in doing something.

2. [countable usually plural] a problem or something that causes trouble
difficulty with
There are several difficulties with this theory.
If you have any difficulties, give me a call.
The project soon ran into difficulties.
Difficulties can arise when there is more than one defendant.

3. [uncountable] if you are in difficulty, you are in a situation in which you have problems
in difficulty
The business is in financial difficulty.
get/run into difficulty (=get into a difficult situation)
She soon got into difficulty with debt.

4. [uncountable] the quality of being difficult to do
the difficulty of (doing) something
the difficulty of solving such problems

5. [uncountable] how difficult something is:
The tests vary in difficulty.
⇒ learning difficulties

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

difficulty
noun
ADJ. considerable, enormous, grave, great, major, real, serious, severe We had enormous difficulty in getting hold of the right equipment.
insurmountable | increasing questions of increasing difficulty
inherent the difficulties inherent in treating overdose patients
particular, special English spelling presents special difficulties for foreign learners.
economic, financial | practical, technical I think we've managed to overcome most of the practical difficulties.
behavioural, emotional, learning children with learning difficulties
QUANT. level The games have various different levels of difficulty.
VERB + DIFFICULTY encounter, experience, face, get into, have, run into Among the difficulties encountered was a lack of cooperation on the part of the authorities. Anyone experiencing difficulty with radio reception should call us on the new helpline. Let me know if you have any difficulties. I had little difficulty in persuading the others to come. The scheme has run into serious difficulties.
cause, create, make, present Will it cause any difficulties if I go early? She is always making difficulties for herself.
cope with, deal with, overcome, resolve, solve, surmount | avoid how to avoid technical difficulties
be fraught with The situation was fraught with difficulty.
DIFFICULTY + VERB arise, crop up Difficulties arise when people fail to consult their colleagues.
lie (in sth) The difficulty lies in identifying the precise nature of the problem.
PREP. despite a/the ~ Despite all the difficulties, he still remains optimistic.
in ~ We could see that the swimmer was in difficulties.
with/without ~ We crossed the border without any difficulty. Life in the city was not without its difficulties.
~ in She had difficulty in starting her car.
~ of the difficulty of finding affordable accommodation
~ with having difficulty with the engine

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

difficulty

have difficulties
By the age of eight, Robbie was having difficulties at school.
run into/get into difficulties (=find yourself in a difficult situation)
Three people were rescued from a boat that had got into difficulties.
experience/encounter difficulties formal (=have difficulties)
Graduates often experience considerable difficulties in getting their first job.
face difficulties
The hotel’s owners were facing financial difficulties.
overcome/resolve difficulties (=deal with them successfully)
We are confident that we can overcome these difficulties.
present/pose difficulties formal (=be something that is difficult to deal with)
English spelling may present some difficulties for learners.
be fraught with difficulties (=involve a lot of them)
The whole plan was fraught with difficulties.
cause/lead to difficulties
Stress and worry both cause sleep difficulties.
give rise to difficulties formal (=cause them)
The stormy weather gave rise to difficulties for many of the competitors in the yacht race.
difficulties arise (=happen)
It’s best to discuss any difficulties that arise rather than trying to deal with them alone.
major/serious/severe difficulties
By then, we were having serious financial difficulties.
considerable difficulties (=a lot of problems)
They had considerable difficulties in getting funding for their research.
technical difficulties
The flight was delayed due to technical difficulties.
practical difficulties (=problems with doing something)
It’s a great idea, but there will be a number of practical difficulties.
financial/economic difficulties
The company is facing serious financial difficulties.
breathing difficulties
She was taken to hospital with breathing difficulties.
marital difficulties (=in a marriage)
You may need help in dealing with your marital difficulties.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

difficulty
noun
1.
BAD: She had a difficulty in obtaining a visa.
GOOD: She had difficulty (in) obtaining a visa.

Usage Note:
have difficulty/difficulties (in) doing sth (NOT a difficulty ): 'Sometimes he has difficulty in making himself understood.'

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2.
BAD: I have great difficulty to understand him.
GOOD: I have great difficulty (in) understanding him.

Usage Note:
have difficulty/difficulties (in) doing sth (NOT to do ): 'You should have no difficulty in passing the exam.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲