English word

Difficult

Definitions

adjective

  1. hard to do, make, or carry out : arduous
  2. hard to deal with, manage, or overcome
  3. hard to understand : puzzling

Synonyms for difficult

Closest evidence-backed alternatives.

  • challenging
  • complicated
  • tough
  • demanding
  • hard
  • rigorous
  • formidable
  • grueling
  • gruelling
  • harrowing
  • punishing
  • backbreaker
  • agonizing
  • bruising
  • debilitating
  • draining
  • insufferable

Synonyms by context

Requiring great effort or exertion

adjective

  • arduous
  • excruciating
  • harsh
  • strenuous
  • testing

Hard to comprehend mentally

adjective

  • complex
  • confusing
  • puzzling
  • tricky
  • baffling
  • bewildering
  • confounding
  • convoluted

Not easy to please or satisfy

adjective

Antonyms for difficult

Opposite of requiring great effort or exertion

Opposite of hard to comprehend mentally

Opposite of not easy to please or satisfy

  • agreeable
  • accommodating
  • considerate
  • amenable
  • amiable
  • cooperative
  • flexible
  • good-natured
  • lenient

Phrases

  • a breeze
  • a bummer of a
  • a cinch
  • a devil
  • a doddle
  • an imposition
  • a nuisance
  • a piece of cake
  • a pushover
  • as easy as ABC
  • a snap
  • a stinker of a
  • beset by problems
  • beyond bearing
  • built on sand
  • causing discomfort
  • child's play
  • clearly expressed
  • crystal clear
  • difficult going