difficulty

Universal Words noun (plural difficulties) 1 [C,usually pl.,U] a problem; a thing or situation that causes problems: the difficulties of English syntax * children with severe learning difficulties * We've run into difficulties / difficulty with the new project. * He got into difficulties while swimming and had to be rescued. * The bank is in difficulty / difficulties. * It was a time fraught with difficulties and frustration. 2 [U] the state or quality of being hard to do or to understand; the effort that sth involves: I had considerable difficulty (in) persuading her to leave. * I had no difficulty (in) making myself understood. * The changes were made with surprisingly little difficulty. * He spoke slowly and with great difficulty. * We found the house without difficulty. * They discussed the difficulty of studying abroad. HELPNOTE You cannot say 'have difficulty to do sth': _I_ _h_a_d_ _d_i_f_f_i_c_u_l_t_y_ _t_o_ _p_e_r_s_u_a_d_e_ _h_e_r_ _t_o_ _l_e_a_v_e_. 3 [U] how hard sth is: varying levels of difficulty * questions of increasing difficulty