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the quality of being hard to do or understand
The difficulty of the exam surprised many students.
The test was harder than expected for most students.
Often used to describe challenges in tasks, subjects, or situations.
a problem or obstacle that makes something hard to do
One difficulty in learning a new language is pronunciation.
A common challenge when learning a new language is mastering pronunciation.
Can refer to a specific challenge or a general sense of hardship.
Use 'difficulty' to describe general challenges or specific problems.
'Difficulty' is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
From Old French 'difficulté', from Latin 'difficultas', meaning 'hardness, harshness'.
Often used in formal and informal contexts to describe challenges in various situations.