difficulty
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++dif·fi·cul·ty /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/ ●●● S2 W1 noun (plural difficulties) 1 [uncountable]DIFFICULT if you have difficulty doing something, it is difficult for you to do 困难，费劲have/experience difficulty (in) doing something They had great difficulty in finding a replacement. 他们找接替的人费了很大劲。with/without difficulty He got to his feet with difficulty. 他费劲地站了起来。 ► Do not say that someone ‘has difficulty to do something’. Say that someone has difficulty doing something or has difficulty in doing something.不要说 that someone ‘has difficulty to do something’. 而要说 that someone has difficulty doing something 或 has difficulty in doing something.2 [countable usually plural]PROBLEM a problem or something that causes trouble 难题，难事difficulty with There are several difficulties with this theory. 这一理论有几处难点。 If you have any difficulties, give me a call. 如果你遇到困难，就给我打电话。 The project soon ran into difficulties. 这个项目很快就遇到了困难。 Difficulties can arise when there is more than one defendant. 如果被告不止一个，可能就会产生难题。3 [uncountable] if you are in difficulty, you are in a situation in which you have problems 困境in difficulty The business is in financial difficulty. 这家企业财务上遇到了困难。get/run into difficulty (=get into a difficult situation) 陷入困境 She soon got into difficulty with debt. 她很快就因债务陷入了困境。4 [uncountable] the quality of being difficult to do 困难，艰辛the difficulty of (doing) something the difficulty of solving such problems 解决这类问题的难5 [uncountable]DIFFICULT how difficult something is 难度 The tests vary in difficulty. 测试的难度有所不同。 → learning difficulties COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: a problem or something that causes trouble 难题，难事verbshave difficulties 有困难By the age of eight, Robbie was having difficulties at school. 到了八岁,罗比在学业上遇到了困难。run into/get into difficulties (=find yourself in a difficult situation) 遭遇困难Three people were rescued from a boat that had got into difficulties. 三人从遇险船只上获救。experience/encounter difficulties formal (=have difficulties) 遭遇困难Graduates often experience considerable difficulties in getting their first job. 毕业生找第一份工作常常会遭遇很多困难。face difficulties 面临困难The hotel’s owners were facing financial difficulties. 这家酒店的老板正面临财务困境。overcome/resolve difficulties (=deal with them successfully) 克服/解决困难We are confident that we can overcome these difficulties. 我们有信心克服这些困难。present/pose difficulties formal (=be something that is difficult to deal with) 构成困难English spelling may present some difficulties for learners. 英语拼写可能会对学习者造成一些困难。be fraught with difficulties (=involve a lot of them) 充满困难nThe whole plan was fraught with difficulties.cause/lead to difficulties 造成困难nStress and worry both cause sleep difficulties.give rise to difficulties formal (=cause them) 造成困难The stormy weather gave rise to difficulties for many of the competitors in the yacht race. 暴风雨天气给帆船赛的许多选手造成了困难。difficulties arise (=happen) 困难出现nIt’s best to discuss any difficulties that arise rather than trying to deal with them alone.adjectivesmajor/serious/severe difficulties 重大的/严重的困难By then, we were having serious financial difficulties. 那时,我们财务方面非常困难。considerable difficulties (=a lot of problems) 相当多的困难They had considerable difficulties in getting funding for their research. 他们在争取研究经费时遇到了不少困难。technical difficulties 技术困难The flight was delayed due to technical difficulties. 航班由于技术问题延误了。practical difficulties (=problems with doing something) 实际困难nIt’s a great idea, but there will be a number of practical difficulties.financial/economic difficulties 财务/经济困难The company is facing serious financial difficulties. 公司正面临严重的财务困境。breathing difficulties 呼吸困难nShe was taken to hospital with breathing difficulties.nmarital difficulties (=in a marriage)You may need help in dealing with your marital difficulties.
Examples from the Corpus
difficulty• Manchester United won easily, and never seemed to be in any difficulty.• The traditional way of undertaking market research is through using questionnaires but there are difficulties in gathering information by this method.• The nation faces severe economic difficulties.• Whitehall officials have encountered difficulties in deciding which essential services to include.• Some parents experienced difficulty when they tried to move their children to other schools.• She lent me a couple of hundred quid because I was in financial difficulty.• Youngsters may have difficulty applying the paint because of its thin consistency.• Work-inhibited children often have difficulty engaging in competitive play.• Freddie is having difficulties, too.• Credit cards make it extremely easy to get into difficulty with debt.• Police officers in most Californian cities need to be able to cope with language difficulties and cultural differences.• The main difficulty with this method is that it takes twice as long.• I don't expect major difficulties, although there are still differences to be worked out.• The books vary in level of difficulty.• This step should ensure that the difficulty level and the volume of material in any one session are right for the students.• The difficulties of experimentation in this area are well known.• The difficulties of counting whales makes most population figures extremely unreliable.with/without difficulty• Other nations stumbled, slid backward, moved forward again with difficulty.• The process of admitting nations just now coming to democracy and capitalism has not been without difficulties.• It is this lack of codified certainty that makes a study of it so fraught with difficulty.• He stands up and comes over, asking me something or other, walk-ing with difficulty.• This last point is not without difficulty.• Some were loose, some went on only with difficulty.• Only with difficulty was she able to hold back the tears, forcing herself to smile.• She will be 76 next month and walks with difficulty, using a cane.get/run into difficulty• But delegates ran into difficulties in informal haggling over how to share the cuts.• If you do run into difficulties, there are two possibilities; neither of which is desirable. 1.• Inevitably, the proposal is running into difficulties.• Soaring Inexperienced pilots get into difficulties when they are soaring.• It was built successfully but two attempts to emulate and balance it soon ran into difficulties.• And with the theatre running into difficulties about subsidy it's not getting any more hopeful.• Many families who get into difficulties have been struggling with problems that would daunt the most energetic and resourceful of people.• If you get into difficulties repaying the loan, go straight to the lender and explain the problem.the difficulty of (doing) something• If they are already your customers, the difficulties of changing their preferences become an asset and not a liability.• We do not minimize the depth of the problem, nor the difficulty of solving it.• All would be aware of the difficulty of finding ideologically acceptable forms of fun.• Is this perhaps a comment on the inadequacy of the law and the difficulty of policing and getting convictions?• I knew nothing about the Ober Gabelhornr's history or the difficulty of the route, or even what it looked like.• Rents did not, however, necessarily solve the difficulties of town finance.• Second, and more fundamentally, they drew attention to the difficulties of finding a satisfactory measure of performance in statistical terms.• Yet I think you underestimate the difficulties of raising such capital.Origin difficulty (1300-1400) Latin difficultas, from difficilis “difficult”, from facilis “easy”dif·fi·cul·ty noun →COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable
have doing you difficulty if it Corpus something,
difficulty
dif‧fi‧cul‧ty S2 W1 /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/
noun (plural difficulties)
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
■ 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.
dif‧fi‧cul‧ty S2 W1 /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/
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 doLanguage: Latin
Origin: difficultas, from difficilis 'difficult', from facilis 'easy'
have/experience difficulty (in) doing something
with/without 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
3. [uncountable] if you are in difficulty, you are in a situation in which you have problems
in difficulty
get/run into difficulty (=get into a difficult situation)
4. [uncountable] the quality of being difficult to do
the difficulty of (doing) something
5. [uncountable] how difficult something is:
⇨ learning difficulties
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