1. (n.) The state of being difficult, or hard to do; hardness; arduousness; -- opposed to easiness or facility; as, the difficulty of a task or enterprise; a work of difficulty.

2. (n.) Something difficult; a thing hard to do or to understand; that which occasions labor or perplexity, and requires skill and perseverance to overcome, solve, or achieve; a hard enterprise; an obstacle; an impediment; as, the difficulties of a science; difficulties in theology.

3. (n.) A controversy; a falling out; a disagreement; an objection; a cavil.

4. (n.) Embarrassment of affairs, especially financial affairs; -- usually in the plural; as, to be in difficulties.

Gordian knot abstruseness adverse circumstances adversity affliction aggravation agreement to disagree altercation annoyance arduousness asperity bad news bedevilment beef bickering blight block blockade bore bother botheration bothersomeness bottleneck bummer burden burthen care cargo catch challenge charge complexity complication controversy cordon crabbedness crampedness crashing bore cross cross-purposes cumbrance curse curtain deadweight deepness demurral demurrer determent deterrent devilment difference difference of opinion difficulties dilemma disadvantage disagreement disparity dispute distress dividedness division dogging downer drag drawback embarrassment emergency encumbrance esoterica exasperation exigency falling-out fight fix formidableness freight hamper handicap hang-up harassment hard knocks hard life hard lot hardcase hardness hardship harrying hassle hazard headache heavy sledding hindrance hitch hot water hounding hurdle impediment impedimenta imposition inconvenience intricacy irritation jam joker knottiness laboriousness load lumber mess misunderstanding molestation nuisance objection obstacle obstruction obstructive odds one small difficulty onus pack painfulness pass penalty persecution pest pickle pinch pitfall plight polarization predicament pressure problem profoundness profundity protest quandary question reconditeness remonstrance remonstration rigor rub scrape sea of troubles snag squabble strain strait straits stress stress of life stumbling block stumbling stone trial tribulation trouble troubles vale of tears variance vexation vexatiousness vicissitude vigor weight white elephant worriment worry