difficult: Meaning and Definition of

dif•fi•cult

Pronunciation: (dif'i-kult", -kult), [key]
— adj.
  1. not easily or readily done; requiring much labor, skill, or planning to be performed successfully; hard: a difficult job.
  2. hard to understand or solve: a difficult problem.
  3. hard to deal with or get on with: a difficult pupil.
  4. hard to please or satisfy: a difficult employer.
  5. hard to persuade or induce; stubborn: a difficult old man.
  6. disadvantageous; trying; hampering: The operation was performed under the most difficult conditions.
  7. fraught with hardship, esp. financial hardship: We saw some difficult times during the depression years.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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