difficulties

noun

plural of difficulty
1
as in hardships
something that is a cause for suffering or special effort especially in the attainment of a goal the many difficulties that he encountered on the road from poor orphan to head of a major corporation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in complications
something that makes a situation more complicated or difficult there was a minor difficulty when we realized that the store had already closed

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in objections
a feeling or declaration of disapproval or dissent the only difficulty I have with the dress is its color—does it come in anything besides purple?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in controversies
variance of opinion on a matter the theologian's ongoing difficulties with the Vatican

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of difficulties Authorities have cited difficulties tracking down the man’s next of kin, but overall police have said little about the case besides that the man had been armed with dangerous weapons. — Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026 Reports came from multiple parts of the United States, with customers reporting difficulties making and receiving calls. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026 The machines were removed in the 1970s due to maintenance difficulties and vandalism, Desjarlais said. — Anne Kadet, Curbed, 7 Aug. 2026 As a school psychologist, however, my training told me there was a good chance that my daughter was in for a lifetime of academic difficulties and potentially impactful mental health struggles. — Parents, 7 Aug. 2026 According to Bunselmeyer, some member schools reported issues with overlap, including time burdens on busy student-athletes, difficulties with balancing sports and holiday seasons and challenges in shared facilities. — Charles Baggarly august 6, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Aug. 2026 Dating with psoriasis can bring about its own set of difficulties. — Petra Guglielmetti, Glamour, 6 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, Mendes — who was previously linked to Sabrina Carpenter and Hailey Bieber — spoke about the difficulties of dating in the public eye during a September 2024 appearance on Jay Shetty‘s On Purpose podcast. — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026 The project to give the pool a facelift to celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday began in April, but has been beset by difficulties after it became plagued by an algae bloom and the pool’s new blue lining began to peel. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for difficulties
  1. hardships
  2. complications
  3. objections
  4. controversies
  5. complexities
  6. exceptions
  7. disputes
  8. complaints
Noun
  • The stops are punctuated by excerpts from Peter Bogdanovich’s 1971 The Last Picture Show and as reflections on past and present hardships facing the film exhibition industry.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The show also depicts its hardships with disarming frankness, even verging on despondency.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of hardships
Noun
  • The baby’s injuries were consistent with a ligature strangulation, and his cause of death was complications of mechanical asphyxia, the examiner testified.
    — Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Representatives for Katsis confirmed his death on Thursday in Los Angeles, from complications of congestive heart failure, in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter and Billboard.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of complications
Noun
  • His larger warning is about what happens when odor objections succeed in blocking reform altogether.
    — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • In response, Apple has reportedly been testing memory chips from China’s CXMT, an approach that could raise objections from the White House if Apple decided to move forward.
    — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of objections
Noun
  • The Fever have won seven of their last nine despite being the focal point of so many controversies.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But their success on the floor has often been subsumed by controversies.
    — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of controversies
Noun
  • Compared to the more flawed Sherlock Holmes or James Bond — two other literary heroes whose various screen iterations have often, albeit not always, sanded down their complexities — Reacher is barely a character at all.
    — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Cori navigates the complexities of growing up in a small town with men who limit her, a mother who can’t protect her, and her dream of becoming a writer.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of complexities
Noun
  • The Constitution protects defendants from being prosecuted for the same crime twice, but Mangione's dueling state and federal cases fall into one of the exceptions for double jeopardy.
    — Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The London Diamond League sells out 60,000 each year and Jamaica’s school championships always brings tens of thousands to Kingston, the two standout events and current exceptions to the rule.
    — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of exceptions
Noun
  • Four seasons later, the veteran defensive tackle has returned to a different team — one that missed the playoffs for the first time in six years, is reeling over contract disputes and is looking to rebuild on both sides of the ball.
    — Abby DiSalvo, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The space is more neutral, particularly if disputes between roommates must be mediated or there are other sensitive matters, according to Max Koskoff, associate director for regional campus programs.
    — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of disputes
Noun
  • The city says there was a large increase in complaints in May, likely due to the end of the school year.
    — Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • By doing it this way, the kids had to put some thought into which items meant the most to them, and there were no complaints afterward.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of complaints

Browse Nearby Words

difficult
difficulties
difficulty
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Difficulties.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/difficulties. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on difficulties

Nglish: Translation of difficulties for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vacuous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All