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The Complete Guide to Difficult in English: Structures, Usage & Practice

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In English, "Difficult" serves as a fundamental adjective to express something hard or challenging. Understanding its proper usage and structural patterns is essential for effective communication. This comprehensive guide explores everything about Difficult in English, while distinguishing it from "Difficulty" and examining related synonymous expressions.

What is Difficult in English? Everything you need to know about Difficult

I. What is Difficult in English?
II. The structures of Difficult in English
III. Differentiate between Difficult and Difficulty
IV. Synonyms of Difficult in English
V. Idioms with Difficult in English and some idioms expressing difficulty
1. 1. Idioms with Difficult
2. 2. Idioms expressing difficulty
VI. Exercises on Difficult in English with detailed answers

I. What is Difficult in English?

"Difficult" functions as an adjective in English, conveying the meaning of hard, challenging, or requiring considerable effort. The word "Difficult" commonly pairs with specific prepositions, particularly "for" and "to." Depending on the context, the difficult structure adapts to different meanings while maintaining its core concept of challenge or complexity:

Primary meaning: Not easy; requiring effort or skill to accomplish or comprehend. For example:

Jenny finds it difficult to stop thinking about John.
It is difficult for Hanna to climb this mountain.

Secondary meaning: Not easy to please; uncooperative or demanding. For example:

Kathy is a very difficult customer.
The singer has a difficult reputation.

Everything you need to know about Difficult in English

II. The structures of Difficult in English

Difficult in English appears in several distinct patterns, each serving specific communicative purposes. Here are the main structural frameworks:

Structure
Structure	Difficult serves as an adjective	It + be (is/was) + difficult + to V	Difficult + for + sb + to V	S + find + something/V-ing + difficult
Usage	Difficult serves as an adjective, and complements information for the sentence.	Difficult + to V expresses "hard to do something".	This structure expresses "hard for someone to do something".	This structure expresses someone finds it hard to do something.
Example	Sara is a difficult woman. Physics is a difficult subject. Post-graduation from school is a difficult time for Kathy.	It’s very difficult to achieve this month’s goal. It was difficult to move the bench out of the room.	It is difficult for her to break up with him. The boss made it difficult for him to agree to a pay cut. It is difficult for him to wake up early after a late night of work.	I find speaking in public difficult. She finds advanced math problems difficult.

III. Differentiate between Difficult and Difficulty

Many people often confuse Difficult with Difficulty. However, these two words are completely different and are distinguished as follows:

Difficult vs Difficulty
Similarities	Both words mean hard or challenging.
Differences	Difficult serves as an adjective in the sentence.	“Difficulty” is a noun, followed by a preposition or gerund.
Example	It will be very difficult to find Hanna’s car key. Many things make it difficult for Jenny to get married.	The difficulty of this task made Harry a little nervous. Martin has difficulty finding the way to his new company.

IV. Synonyms of Difficult in English

English offers various synonymous expressions that convey different nuances of difficulty. Understanding these distinctions enhances vocabulary precision and stylistic variety:

1. Difficult vs Hard

	Difficult	Hard
Part of speech	adjective	Adjective, adverb
Meaning	Exclusively means "challenging" or "demanding skill" Describe the need to overcome obstacles or solve problems during the process of doing something, and this requires certain skills.	Multiple meanings: challenging, solid, intense, severe Describe an activity that requires a lot of physical or mental effort. "Hard" has a more abstract meaning.
Example	Chemistry lessons are not too difficult. This song is very difficult to understand.	Hanna had a hard life. Martin likes to pretend he’s hard. This stick is as hard as steel.

2. Difficult vs Tough

	Difficult	Tough
Meaning	Solely means "challenging". Neutral description of challenge level	Multiple meanings: resilient, harsh, demanding, strong Often implies durability or harsh conditions
Example	This beef is difficult for Anna to chew. It is difficult to please everybody in her class.	Kathy had a pretty tough childhood. Only tough species will survive in the desert. That’s tough for you!

3. Difficult vs Arduous

	Difficult	Arduous
Meaning	General challenge requiring skill or effort. Moderate to high difficulty.	Extreme challenge requiring sustained effort and endurance. Exceptionally demanding, often involving prolonged struggle.
Example	This history book is difficult for me to read. This problem is more difficult than Peter imagines.	That was an arduous journey through miles of desert. Kathy went through an arduous training program.

V. Idioms with Difficult in English and some idioms expressing difficulty

1. Idioms with Difficult

Difficult has a commonly used idiom:

Have a (hard/difficult) job doing/to do something = Encountering difficulty in doing something

For example:

Kathy’ll have a difficult job convincing them that she is right.
Sara had a hard job to make herself heard.

2. Idioms expressing difficulty

Additional idiomatic expressions effectively convey various aspects of difficulty:

Idiom	Meaning	Example
A hard nut to crack	a difficult problem or situation to deal with	This homework is a hard nut to crack that I can’t solve.
A tough row to hoe	difficult situation to deal with	Martin had a tough row to hoe in today’s schools.
Hard to swallow	difficult to believe	Harry found her story rather hard to swallow.
in deep water	to be in or get into serious trouble	Sara knew she would be in deep water if she didn’t mention John in her acceptance speech.
In over your head	to be involved in a difficult situation that you cannot get out of	Jenny tried to pay her gambling debts, but she was in over her head.

VI. Exercises on Difficult in English with detailed answers

Regular practice prevents common mistakes and reinforces proper usage patterns. Complete these exercises to strengthen your understanding of "Difficult."

Exercise 1: Choose Difficult or Difficulty

1. Peter’s parents have ____ using smartphones.
- A. difficult
- B. difficulty
2. It is very ____ for Hanna to make a decision.
- A. difficult
- B. difficulty
3. Harry finds it ____ to break up with Jane.
- A. difficult
- B. difficulty
4. Kathy has ____ finding a good job.
- A. difficult
- B. difficulty
5. It is very ____ to forget this memory.
- A. difficult
- B. difficulty

Exercise 2: Find mistakes in the following sentences

Hanna went through the most difficulty period.
It is very difficulty for Harry to find a good job.
Going through difficulty things will help Kathy grow.
It is very difficulty for Peter to sleep alone.

Answer keys:

Exercise 1: 1 – B, 2-A, 3-A, 4-B, 5-A

Exercise 2:

Hanna went through the most difficult period.
It is very difficult for Harry to find a good job.
Going through difficult things will help Kathy grow.
It is very difficult for Peter to sleep alone.

This comprehensive guide has covered the essential knowledge regarding "Difficult" in English, including its various structural patterns, distinctions from related words, and practical applications. Understanding these patterns and practicing regularly will significantly improve your English communication skills.

For continued improvement in English proficiency, consider enrolling in structured learning programs that provide personalized guidance and comprehensive skill development opportunities.

Chloe

Product Content Admin

Hi I'm Chloe, and I am currently serving as an Product Content Administrator at Prep Education. With over five years of experience in independent online IELTS study and exam preparation, I am confident in my ability to support learners in achieving their highest possible scores.