dif ‧ fi ‧ cul ‧ ty S2 W1 /ˈdɪfɪk ə lti/ BrE AmE noun ( plural difficulties )
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: difficultas , from difficilis 'difficult' , from facilis 'easy' ]
1 . [uncountable] if you have difficulty doing something, it is difficult for you to do
have/experience difficulty (in) doing something
They had great difficulty in finding a replacement.
with/without difficulty
He got to his feet with difficulty.
► Do not say that someone ‘has difficulty to do something’. Say that someone has difficulty doing something or has difficulty in doing something .
2 . [countable usually plural] a problem or something that causes trouble
difficulty with
There are several difficulties with this theory.
If you have any difficulties, give me a call.
The project soon ran into difficulties.
Difficulties can arise when there is more than one defendant.
3 . [uncountable] if you are in difficulty, you are in a situation in which you have problems
in difficulty
The business is in financial difficulty.
get/run into difficulty (=get into a difficult situation)
She soon got into difficulty with debt.
4 . [uncountable] the quality of being difficult to do
the difficulty of (doing) something
the difficulty of solving such problems
5 . [uncountable] how difficult something is:
The tests vary in difficulty.
⇨ ↑ learning difficulties
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ verbs
▪ have difficulties
By the age of eight, Robbie was having difficulties at school.
▪ run into/get into difficulties (=find yourself in a difficult situation)
Three people were rescued from a boat that had got into difficulties.
▪ experience/encounter difficulties formal (=have difficulties)
Graduates often experience considerable difficulties in getting their first job.
▪ face difficulties
The hotel’s owners were facing financial difficulties.
▪ overcome/resolve difficulties (=deal with them successfully)
We are confident that we can overcome these difficulties.
▪ present/pose difficulties formal (=be something that is difficult to deal with)
English spelling may present some difficulties for learners.
▪ be fraught with difficulties (=involve a lot of them)
The whole plan was fraught with difficulties.
▪ cause/lead to difficulties
Stress and worry both cause sleep difficulties.
▪ give rise to difficulties formal (=cause them)
The stormy weather gave rise to difficulties for many of the competitors in the yacht race.
▪ difficulties arise (=happen)
It’s best to discuss any difficulties that arise rather than trying to deal with them alone.
■ adjectives
▪ major/serious/severe difficulties
By then, we were having serious financial difficulties.
▪ considerable difficulties (=a lot of problems)
They had considerable difficulties in getting funding for their research.
▪ technical difficulties
The flight was delayed due to technical difficulties.
▪ practical difficulties (=problems with doing something)
It’s a great idea, but there will be a number of practical difficulties.
▪ financial/economic difficulties
The company is facing serious financial difficulties.
▪ breathing difficulties
She was taken to hospital with breathing difficulties.
▪ marital difficulties (=in a marriage)
You may need help in dealing with your marital difficulties.