difficult

Meanings

Adjective

• Hard, not easy, requiring much effort.
• Hard to manage, uncooperative, troublesome.
• Unable or unwilling.

Verb

• To make difficult; to impede; to perplex.

Related

Similar words

• burdensome, cumbersome, hard

Origin

• From Middle English difficult (ca. 1400), a from difficultee (whence modern difficulty), from Old French difficulté, from Latin difficultas, from difficul, older form of difficilis, from dis- + facilis; see difficile. Replaced native Middle English earveþ ("difficult, hard"), from Old English earfoþe ("difficult, laborious, full of hardship"), cognate to German Arbeit ("work").