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2 definitions found

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:

  Difficulty \Dif"fi*cul*ty\, n.; pl. {Difficulties}. [L.
     difficultas, fr. difficilis difficult; dif- = dis- + facilis
     easy: cf. F. difficult['e]. See {Facile}.]
     1. The state of being difficult, or hard to do; hardness;
        arduousness; -- opposed to {easiness} or {facility}; as,
        the difficulty of a task or enterprise; a work of
        difficulty.
  
              Not being able to promote them [the interests of
              life] on account of the difficulty of the region.
                                                    --James Byrne.
  
     2. Something difficult; a thing hard to do or to understand;
        that which occasions labor or perplexity, and requires
        skill and perseverance to overcome, solve, or achieve; a
        hard enterprise; an obstacle; an impediment; as, the
        difficulties of a science; difficulties in theology.
  
              They lie under some difficulties by reason of the
              emperor's displeasure.                --Addison.
  
     3. A controversy; a falling out; a disagreement; an
        objection; a cavil.
  
              Measures for terminating all local difficulties.
                                                    --Bancroft.
  
     4. Embarrassment of affairs, especially financial affairs; --
        usually in the plural; as, to be in difficulties.
  
              In days of difficulty and pressure.   --Tennyson.
  
     Syn: Impediment; obstacle; obstruction; embarrassment;
          perplexity; exigency; distress; trouble; trial;
          objection; cavil. See {Impediment}.

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  difficulty
       n 1: an effort that is inconvenient; "I went to a lot of
            trouble"; "he won without any trouble"; "had difficulty
            walking"; "finished the test only with great difficulty"
            [syn: {trouble}]
       2: a factor causing trouble in achieving a positive result or
          tending to produce a negative result; "serious
          difficulties were encountered in obtaining a pure reagent"
       3: a condition or state of affairs almost beyond one's ability
          to deal with and requiring great effort to bear or
          overcome; "grappling with financial difficulties"
       4: the quality of being difficult; "they agreed about the
          difficulty of the climb" [syn: {difficultness}] [ant: {ease}]

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