It is difficult to keep up a conversation with someone who only says "yes" and "no".
Source: tatoeba (1589)
Difficult
/ˈdɪfɪkəlt/
Synonyms for "difficult" (245 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (49)
Adjective(15 words)
Adjective(4 words)
Verb(1 words)
Noun(1 words)
challenging behavior
Strong matches (74)
Adjective(12 words)
dense massdysfunctional communityfiendishfrustratinggnarliestgnarlyhardesthigh gradeinconvenientintense energyknottiestlow usability
deplorabledetrimentaldiceydifficileeffortfulenigmaticalevilexactingexhaustingfastidiousfinicalfinickingfinickyfinikinformidablefrowardfuss-budgetyfussygarbledgrim
Show 29 more words
hairyhardhard earnedhard foughthard to pleasehard to understandhard-earnedhard-foughtharmfulheavyherculeanhostileill-behavedin oppositioninimicalintractableintricateirasciblejawbreakingjumbledkillingknottedknottylaboredlaboriousleanmeanmiserablemurderous
Noun(10 words)
Verb(1 words)
Related words (122)
naughtynervousnit-pickingno picnicnot easyobfuscatedobscureobscuredobstinateobstructiveonerousoperoseopposedopposingoppositeorneryovercriticalovertechnicalparlousparticular
Show 70 more words
pawkypernicketyperplexedperplexingpersnicketyperversepicnicprecariouspricklyproblemproblematicproblematicalprofoundpuzzlingqueasyrebelliousrecalcitrantreconditerefractoryrigorousroughruggedscabrousscrambledself-willedsensitiveseriousset with thornsseveresinisterslavishspinysqueamishsteepstickystiffstrainedstraitstrenuousstressfulstrongstubbornstuffysulkysullentenderterriblethornyticklishtighttiresometoilsometoughtrickytroubledtroublesometroublingtroubloustryingunaccommodatinguncompromisingunfavorableunmanageableuntowardunyieldinguphillwaywardwickedwretchedwrongheaded
Adjective(19 words)
Verb(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: hard, abstruse, advanced multiplication drills, adverse, agonizing.
- arduous: 'Arduous' emphasizes exhausting effort over a long haul. It's not just hard, it's draining.
- Sentence evidence is available for difficult, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "difficult".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "difficult"
Keep "difficult" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "difficult" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "difficult", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "difficult" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
How these synonyms differ
- arduous - 'Arduous' emphasizes exhausting effort over a long haul. It's not just hard, it's draining.
- challenging - 'Challenging' puts a positive spin on difficulty, it implies growth and reward, not just struggle.
- complex - 'Complex' shifts from difficulty to intricacy, something can be complex without being hard if you understand all its parts.
- tough - 'Tough' is colloquial and resilient, a tough problem demands grit, and calling something tough acknowledges real resistance.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
3 entriesMore specific
8 entriescomplicated calculationdifficult conversationdifficult decisiondifficult jargondifficult projectdifficult vocabularyhard problemtough assignment
Collocations
6 entriesdifficult assignmentdifficult conceptdifficult problemdifficult readingdifficult science experimentdifficult task
Inflections
4 entriesleast difficultless difficultmore difficultmost difficult
Derivations
1 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
46 entriesShowing 16 of 46 words.
Sample sentences
18 total sentences available.
It's quite difficult to master French in 2 or 3 years.
Source: tatoeba (1596)
It's difficult to have great ideas.
Source: tatoeba (2080)
It's more difficult than you think.
Source: tatoeba (2449)
Showing 4 of 18 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "difficult"?
Closest matches include hard, abstruse, advanced multiplication drills, adverse, agonizing.
How is "arduous" different from "difficult"?
'Arduous' emphasizes exhausting effort over a long haul. It's not just hard, it's draining.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "difficult"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.