DIFFICULTIES Synonyms: 156 Similar and Opposite Words

difficulties

noun

plural of difficulty

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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?

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in controversies

variance of opinion on a matter the theologian's ongoing difficulties with the Vatican

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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 If stress itself is taken as evidence that a relationship is unhealthy, the normal difficulties of human interaction begin to look pathological. — David H. Rosmarin, Time, 29 Aug. 2026 Summary Nigeria will rejoin FTSE Russell's frontier market equity indexes on September 21, reversing its 2023 removal due to foreign exchange repatriation difficulties. — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Yet language barriers, difficulties integrating into Japanese society and differences in business and social culture caused issues, advisers said. — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 The research team identified opportunities to improve the atomic layer etching (ALE) approach, which offers significant advantages over the conventional methods but was plagued by difficulties for practical use. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026 The drone in question was powered by a Nvidia minicomputer not sold in Russia but available through resale markets, highlighting the difficulties in denying tech to US adversaries. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 24 Aug. 2026 While the state has many unfilled jobs in various categories, there are difficulties in hiring in some professions, leading to high amounts of overtime in the Connecticut state budget, officials said. — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026 People talking about the appeal of democratic socialism talk about the language of affordability and the difficulties of working-class people. — John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026 Community discussions about it intensified after Timothy Ray Brown — the first person documented to be cured of HIV — later faced housing difficulties. — Jeff Berry, STAT, 21 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for difficulties

Noun

The marine park closed to the public in 2024 amid financial hardships and concerns about animal welfare.

— Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Miley was inspired to launch her organization in part after the passing of transgender teen Leelah Alcorn, whose death was a big wake-up call for those who were unaware or unfamiliar with the hardships transgender youth experience daily.

— Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of hardships

Noun

While the investigation continues, the sardine deaths have caused other complications.

— Michelle Gumede, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
There were also legal complications over the film rights until Schwarzenegger convinced Carolco Pictures, the studio behind Total Recall (1990), to buy everyone out and hire Cameron to make Judgment Day.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of complications

Noun

Bessent's remarks came as Siluanov's first in-person appearance at the summit since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 drew objections from other European leaders.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
Recently, Capifali helped guide the Johnson administration through a tiff with aldermen who legalized video gambling terminals over the mayor’s objections.

— Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of objections

Noun

Obviously, the game of football would forever be changed and there’s much more complexities there, especially at the professional level.

— Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Carl Recine/Getty Images The complexities of the case, including the weight of evidence and charges, have made progress towards a resolution slow.

— Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of complexities

Noun

With rare exceptions, EV sound is little more than an affectation.

— Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026
Washington had carved out exceptions for itself and some European countries to buy Russian oil, and the Biden administration had even encouraged India to buy Russian oil under a price cap as part of a plan to stabilize the global oil market.

— C. Raja Mohan, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of exceptions

Noun

Miller has previously been at the center of ABS disputes while serving as crew chief for Reds games.

— Chantz Martin OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
An e-bike ban at Newport Beach schools has sparked disputes between students and neighbors over kids parking in their neighborhoods.

— Michele Gile, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of disputes

Noun

Park officials, meanwhile, have long fielded scores of complaints about other head and neck injuries sustained after riding the attraction, according to internal records cited by an expert witness for a plaintiff in court filings.

— Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Mexican diplomats have filed complaints with the Justice Department, eight attorneys general and 12 district attorneys.

— Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of complaints

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“Difficulties.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/difficulties. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of difficulties

noun

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