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adjective · A2 · often · UK/US

difficult

difficult

Meaning of difficult

not hard

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How important is this word
A2often

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Pronunciation
British English/ˈdɪfɪkəlt/
American English/ˈdɪfɪkəlt/
Russian transcription[ˈsloʐnɨj]
difficult
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difficult with Russian translation

difficult usage examples

🇷🇺Russian🇬🇧English

Финальный экзамен сложный, поэтому я всю ночь готовился с однокурсником.

The final exam was difficult, so I studied with a classmate all night.

🇷🇺Russian🇬🇧English

Этот групповой проект сложный, потому что некоторые участники не соглашались.

This group project was difficult because some teammates disagreed.

Learn by topic

difficult belongs to the topic "School and University". Start with a short 7-word set so the word is easier to remember in context.

difficultсложный
childребёнок
studentстудент
examэкзамен
homeworkдомашняя работа
gradeоценка
onlineонлайн

difficult synonyms

Related word breakdowns

What's the difference between difficult / hard / tough / complicated / demanding / taxing

🇬🇧English

Emphasizes the amount of effort required or intensity; common in spoken English.

A2Very Often

The exam was really hard.

🇬🇧English

Means difficult, often implying resilience or endurance; fairly informal.

B1Often

It was a tough decision to make.

C
🇬🇧English
complicated

Implies confusing or tangled details; difficulty often due to unnecessary or intricate elements.

B1Often

The instructions are complicated and hard to follow.

🇬🇧English

Requires a lot of effort, skill, or attention; also used about people who make high demands.

B2Often

This is a demanding course that needs a lot of study time.

T
🇬🇧English
taxing

Means demanding and draining, putting strain on energy or resources.

B2Often

The exam was mentally taxing for the students.

🇬🇧English

Focuses on many interconnected parts or complicated structure rather than effort.

B1Often

The topic is complex and needs careful study.

A
🇬🇧English
arduous

Emphasizes long-lasting, strenuous effort; formal and literary.

C1Rarely

They completed an arduous research project.

L
🇬🇧English
laborious

Stresses time-consuming, painstaking effort; often formal.

C1Rarely

The process was long and laborious.

T
🇬🇧English
tricky

Implies a subtle difficulty that requires skill, care, or cleverness; can suggest traps.

B2Often

The problem is tricky — watch out for hidden assumptions.

🇬🇧English

Used for problems that are full of difficulties or controversies; often about issues.

C1Rarely

They faced a thorny ethical dilemma.

K
🇬🇧English
knotty

Describes problems that are intricate and tangled; somewhat literary.

C1Rarely

A knotty philosophical question about free will remains unresolved.

What's the difference

Related words and lists for difficult

How to pronounce difficult and what this word means

difficult means difficult. This page includes translation, pronunciation, transcription, audio, usage examples and related words.

how to pronounce difficult

/ˈdɪfɪkəlt/

difficult translation

difficult

difficult examples

The final exam was difficult, so I studied with a classmate all night.

difficult transcription

/ˈdɪfɪkəlt/, /ˈdɪfɪkəlt/

Questions about this word

difficult meaning: what does it mean?

not hard

difficult pronunciation: how do you pronounce it?

difficult is pronounced as /ˈdɪfɪkəlt/. Audio is available on this page when the word has a recording.

difficult definition and sentence examples: how is it used in a sentence?

The final exam was difficult, so I studied with a classmate all night. Translation: Финальный экзамен сложный, поэтому я всю ночь готовился с однокурсником.

Is difficult part of School and University vocabulary?

Yes, difficult can be learned in the School and University topic. This semantic link helps build related word lists and topic-based practice.

Is difficult part of Study and Work vocabulary?

Yes, difficult can be learned in the Study and Work topic. This semantic link helps build related word lists and topic-based practice.

Audio practiceExamplesSmart repeats

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