difficultsynonyms, sorted by meaning
Synonym
difficult
adj hard (general) tough (informal) challenging (task) demanding (person) arduous (formal) strenuous (physical) gruelling (tiring) knotty (problem) thorny (issue) tricky (informal) fiddly (awkward) trying (annoying) taxing (testing) burdensome (heavy) laborious (protracted) onerous (formal) exacting (strict) formidable (daunting) uphill (struggle) heavy (going)
noun hardship (condition) difficulty (state) trouble (bother) struggle (effort) complication (problem) obstacle (barrier) hurdle (hurdle) snag (minor) hitch (temporary) drawback (disadvantage) pitfall (trap) quandary (dilemma) predicament (situation) tight spot (idiom) bind (informal) fix (informal) jam (informal) mess (disorder)
person awkward (uncooperative) trying (exasperating) troublesome (bothersome) fractious (irritable) stroppy (British informal) prickly (touchy) cantankerous (grumpy) stubborn (obstinate) unruly (undisciplined)
degree very (intensifier) pretty (moderate) rather (somewhat) extremely (strong) fairly (mild) incredibly (informal)
Thesaurus
difficult
CORE SYNONYMS
hard tough (informal) arduous demanding challenging strenuous laborious onerous burdensome gruelling
DEGREES OF DIFFICULTY
tricky thorny knotty testing taxing trying formidable daunting uphill Sisyphean (literary)
NEAR IMPOSSIBLE
insurmountable intractable unmanageable overwhelming backbreaking brutal (informal) murderous (colloquial) herculean
PEOPLE
difficult person troublemaker nuisance handful (informal) handful (of a child) prima donna diva handful (nuance) awkward customer (British, informal)
PERSONALITY TRAITS
awkward obstinate stubborn headstrong contrary recalcitrant refractory recalcitrant (formal) prickly touchy demanding fussy pernickety (British) ornery (US, dialect)
SITUATIONS
predicament quandary bind tight spot jam (informal) fix (informal) pickle (informal) hot water (informal) sticky situation crisis
TASKS AND PROBLEMS
problem obstacle hurdle snag hitch stumbling block complication headache (informal) nightmare (informal) pain (informal)
ACTIONS
struggle strive grapple wrestle labour toil slog (informal) persevere muddle through soldier on
IDIOMS
hard going uphill struggle no picnic (informal) no walk in the park (informal) easier said than done an uphill battle heavy going rough ride hard row to hoe between a rock and a hard place
OPPOSITES
easy simple effortless straightforward painless manageable undemanding facile smooth child's play (idiomatic)
What the word
when it's hard to do and takes a ton of effort, not easy at all
difficult (general)
hard (physical effort)
arduous (demanding)
grueling (exhausting)
laborious (tedious effort)
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