Have you ever found something so tough that you just couldn’t find the right word to explain how you felt? Well, you’re not alone! Sometimes, when things get really tricky, saying “this is difficult” just doesn’t cut it. But guess what? There are loads of other words you can use instead of just “difficult.” In this post, we’re going to explore 30 different ways to say something is difficult.
By the end, you’ll have a whole bunch of new words in your toolbox to describe those really tough moments. Ready to expand your vocabulary and make talking about hard stuff a bit easier? Let’s dive in!
Other Words for Difficult
Below are other alternatives to “difficult” with example sentences.
- Challenging: The puzzle was challenging, but I solved it.
- Tough: Climbing the hill was tough for the little dog.
- Hard: The math question was hard for Timmy.
- Complicated: The game rules seemed complicated at first.
- Arduous: The journey was arduous due to the storm.
- Tricky: Balancing on one foot is tricky.
- Demanding: The teacher gave us a demanding assignment.
- Complex: Building a lego castle is complex.
- Strenuous: The race was strenuous for the runners.
- Laborious: Digging the garden was laborious work.
- Herculean: Cleaning the messy room was a herculean task.
- Knotty: Solving the riddle was a knotty problem.
- Rigorous: The training was rigorous but rewarding.
- Severe: The obstacle course was severe and daunting.
- Formidable: The mountain looked formidable in the distance.
- Exacting: The craft required exacting precision.
- Grueling: The long walk was grueling for the group.
- Tedious: Sorting the beans was a tedious job.
- Intricate: The puzzle was intricate and detailed.
- Daunting: The task seemed daunting at first glance.
- Thorny: The issue was thorny and hard to discuss.
- Tortuous: The path was tortuous and winding.
- Onerous: The homework was onerous this weekend.
- Painstaking: The painting required painstaking attention to detail.
- Vexing: The mystery was vexing to the detective.
- Cumbersome: The old computer was cumbersome to use.
- Tiring: The hike was tiring for the little ones.
- Taxing: The project was taxing for the whole team.
- Backbreaking: The construction work was backbreaking.
- Oppressive: The heat made the journey oppressive.
