Difficult definition
A difficult child.
Stop being difficult and eat your broccoli—you know it's good for you.
An example of difficult is a very complicated calculus problem.
An example of difficult is a person who is critical all the time and never pleased.
Stocks holding up despite a difficult economy.
Fell upon difficult times.
A difficult puzzle.
Origin of difficult
- Middle English back-formation from difficulte difficulty difficulty
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From difficulty, from Middle English difficultee, from Old French difficulté, from Latin difficultas, from difficul, older form of difficilis (“hard to do, difficult”), from dis- + facilis (“easy”); see difficile.
From Wiktionary