difficult

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Not easy; needing a lot of effort or skill to do or understand.

   This physics equation is difficult to solve.

2. 2
   adj

   Hard to deal with; not cooperative or pleasant.

   Stop being difficult and eat your vegetables.

Common collocations

• difficult question Adjective + noun
• difficult situation Adjective + noun
• difficult decision Adjective + noun

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.

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