# difficult

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈdɪfɪkəlt/ · frequency rank #903

## Definitions
1. Hard, not easy, requiring much effort.
2. Hard to manage, uncooperative, troublesome.
3. Unable or unwilling.

## Etymology
From Middle English difficult (ca. 1400), a back-formation from difficulte (whence modern difficulty), from Old French difficulté, from Latin difficultas, from difficul, older form of difficilis (“hard to do, difficult”), from dis- + facilis (“easy”); see difficile. Replaced native Middle English earveþ (“difficult, hard”), from Old English earfoþe (“difficult, laborious, full of hardship”), cognate to German Arbeit (“work”).
The verb is from the adjective, partly after Middle French difficulter and its etymon Latin difficultō. Compare difficilitate, difficultate, and Italian difficoltare.

## Easily confused with
- **difficulty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/difficult-vs-difficulty)

## Common misspellings (12)
`ddifficult`, `dfificult`, `diffciult`, `difficcult`, `difficlut`, `difficullt`, `difficultt`, `difficutl`, `diffiuclt`, `dificult`, `dififcult`, `idfficult`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/difficult