difficulty

A2 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/ See IPA manual

Freq #6297

Meanings

1

noun
The state of being hard to do or understand.

My grandmother has a lot of difficulty remembering names.
2

noun
A problem or obstacle that makes something hard to achieve.

We faced a difficulty trying to book a flight so late.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the state of being hard to... difficultness

2 noun · a problem or obstacle that... trouble problem

Word family

Forms difficulties

Derived forms counterdifficulty

Related forms difficiledifficult

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

have difficulty
To find an activity hard to do or a situation hard to manage.

Verb + noun

Proverbs (1)

See all

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity

Etymology

From Middle English difficulte, from Middle French and Anglo-Norman difficulte and their etymon Latin difficultas, from difficul, older form of difficilis (“hard to do, difficult”), from dis- + facilis (“easy”); see difficile and difficult. Equivalent to dis- + facile + -ty. Also analysable as difficult + -y, though the adjective is historically a backformation from the noun.

difficulte Middle English difficultas Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas

External links

# difficulty

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/
**Frequency rank:** 6297

## Meanings
1. The state of being hard to do or understand.
2. A problem or obstacle that makes something hard to achieve.

## Examples
- My grandmother has a lot of difficulty remembering names.
- We faced a difficulty trying to book a flight so late.

## Derived Forms
- counterdifficulty

## Related Forms
- difficile
- difficult

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: difficulte
- Root: difficultas

## Etymology
From Middle English difficulte, from Middle French and Anglo-Norman difficulte and their etymon Latin difficultas, from difficul, older form of difficilis (“hard to do, difficult”), from dis- + facilis (“easy”); see difficile and difficult. Equivalent to dis- + facile + -ty. Also analysable as difficult + -y, though the adjective is historically a backformation from the noun.

## AI Etymology
difficulty comes from Middle English difficulte, from Middle French and Anglo-Norman difficulte and their etymon Latin difficultas, from difficul, older form of difficilis (“hard to do, difficult”), from dis- + facilis (“easy”); see difficile and difficult. Equivalent to dis- + facile + -ty. Also analysable as difficult + -y, though the adjective is historically a backformation from the noun. The historical chain includes Middle English difficulte, xno difficulte, Latin difficultas. Current senses include The state of being hard to do or understand and A problem or obstacle that makes something hard to achieve. English relatives and later formations include counterdifficulty, difficile, difficult.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

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