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# difficult

adjective (difficult, more difficult, most difficult)

«difficult» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Hard to do, understand or deal with; needing a lot of effort or skill. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/difficult/#m1)
2. Full of problems or worries (a difficult time). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/difficult/#m2)
3. (of a person) Not easy to please or get on with; unhelpful. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/difficult/#m3)

### In the lessons

Used everywhere: difficult questions, difficult words, difficult times. In maths and exams, «the difficult part» needs more steps. In stories, a difficult character causes trouble. Phrases: «find it difficult to», «make life difficult», «difficult to say», «a difficult decision».

### Examples

- This puzzle is very difficult. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/difficult/#x1)
- I find it difficult to wake up early. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/difficult/#x2)
- The last question was the most difficult. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/difficult/#x3)
- It was a difficult time for the family. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/difficult/#x4)
- The toddler is being difficult today. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/difficult/#x5)
- It's difficult to say who will win. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/difficult/#x6)
- Climbing the mountain was difficult but fun. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/difficult/#x7)
- Its dialect renders it somewhat difficult to read. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/difficult/#x8)

### Note

Comparisons use «more» and «most»: more difficult, NOT «difficulter». Opposite: easy, simple. Noun «difficulty». Synonyms: hard, tough, tricky (informal). In everyday speech «hard» is more common.

## In Jewish tradition

Used everywhere: difficult questions, difficult words, difficult times. In maths and exams, «the difficult part» needs more steps. In stories, a difficult character causes trouble. Phrases: «find it difficult to», «make life difficult», «difficult to say», «a difficult decision».

### Examples

- Public domain books are our gateways to the past, representing a wealth of history, culture and knowledge that's often difficult to discover. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/difficult/#x1)
- And Samekh-Tzadi-Resh-Shin, between the teeth and tongue, lain down and flattened. \[note 1: These last two words, שכובה ושטותה, are difficult to identify. (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/difficult/#x2)
- The Notes have been extended, and it is hoped that they explain and illustrate difficult passages, and render this abstruse treatise more comprehensible than it has been hitherto found. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/difficult/#x3)

### Note

Comparisons use «more» and «most»: more difficult, NOT «difficulter». Opposite: easy, simple. Noun «difficulty». Synonyms: hard, tough, tricky (informal). In everyday speech «hard» is more common.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «difficult» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/difficult/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«difficult» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/difficult.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «difficult» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/difficult/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«difficult» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/difficult.html) on Mova free.