difficulty
Other forms: difficulties
A difficulty is anything that gives you a hard or difficult time. If you eat a lot of chips and dip before dinner, you may have some difficulty finishing your meal.
A difficulty is anything that causes problems. Forgetting an answer during a test could be a difficulty. A broken leg is a more painful difficulty. A poor economy is a difficulty, and losing your job is a more personal difficulty. A difficulty is also anything that’s not easy to do, like becoming a doctor or lifting a huge weight. Difficulties are generally serious or hard to overcome. If you’re having difficulty, you’re having troubles.
Definitions of difficulty
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an effort that is inconvenient
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the quality of being difficult“they agreed about the difficulty of the climb”synonyms: difficultnessantonyms:easefreedom from difficulty or hardship or efforttypes:effortfulnessthe quality of requiring deliberate effortasperity, grimness, hardship, rigor, rigorousness, rigour, rigourousness, severeness, severitysomething hard to enduresternnessthe quality (as of scenery) being grim and gloomy and forbiddingflea bitea very minor inconveniencefly in the ointmentan inconvenience that detracts from the usefulness of somethingunwieldinessthe quality of being difficult to direct or control by reason of complexitytype of:qualityan essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone
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a factor causing trouble in achieving a positive result or tending to produce a negative result“serious difficulties were encountered in obtaining a pure reagent”types:facer(a dated Briticism) a serious difficulty with which one is suddenly facedkillera difficulty that is hard to deal withkinka difficulty or flaw in a plan or operationpissera very disagreeable difficultysnortersomething outstandingly difficultbalk, baulk, check, deterrent, handicap, hinderance, hindrance, impedimentsomething immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progresswrinklea minor difficultypressure pointwhere problems or difficulties are likely to occurcan of wormsa source of unpredictable trouble and complexitydeep waterserious troublegrowing painsproblems that arise in enlarging an enterprise (especially in the early stages)hydratrouble that cannot be overcome by a single effort because of its many aspects or its persistent and pervasive qualitymattera problembindsomething that hinders as if with bondsdiriment impediment(canon law) an impediment that invalidates a marriage (such as the existence of a prior marriage)dragsomething that slows or delays progressobstacle, obstructionsomething immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmountedstraitjacketanything immaterial that severely hinders or confinestype of:cognitive factorsomething immaterial (as a circumstance or influence) that contributes to producing a result
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a condition or state of affairs almost beyond one's ability to deal with and requiring great effort to bear or overcome“grappling with financial difficulties”types:bitchan unpleasant difficultymorass, plight, predicament, quagmire, quandarya situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying onerattrapa difficult entangling situationpincha painful or straitened circumstancemirea difficulty or embarrassment that is hard to extricate yourself fromsituationa complex or critical or unusual difficultyurinary hesitancydifficulty in beginning the flow of urine; associated with prostate enlargement in men and with narrowing of the urethral opening in women; may be caused by emotional stress in either men or womenwalla difficult or awkward situationcarea cause for feeling concernconflict of interesta situation in which a public official's decisions are influenced by the official's personal interestscrisisan unstable situation of extreme danger or difficultycruncha critical situation that arises because of a shortage (as a shortage of time or money or resources)hot potatoa difficult situationMexican standoffa situation in which no one can emerge as a clear winnerno-win situationa situation in which a favorable outcome is impossible; you are bound to lose whatever you dopurgatorya temporary condition of torment or sufferingswampa situation fraught with difficulties and imponderablesticking bomb, time bomba problematic situation that will eventually become dangerous if not addressedtinderboxa dangerous state of affairs; a situation that is a potential source of violenceurgencyan urgent situation calling for prompt actiondead end, deadlock, impasse, stalemate, standstilla situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possiblehot watera dangerous or distressing predicamentrace problema social and political problem caused by conflict between races occupying the same or adjacent regionsbalance-of-payments probleman economic problem caused by payments for imports being greater than receipts for exportsquicksanda treacherous situation that tends to entrap and destroy
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Messenger
In the third book of The Giver Quartet, award-winning author Lois Lowry tells the story of Matty, who risks his life to save his village. Along the way, Matty receives guidance from Leader (Jonas from The Giver) and reunites with Kira (from Gathering Blue).
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