Difficulty
“Difficulty” comes from the word “difficult” meaning something is not easy to accomplish, understand, or deal with. It often refers to a situation or task that requires a lot of effort or struggle. In other words, it signifies a challenge or problem.
- “She encountered many difficulties in her career.” 她的职业生涯中遇到了很多困难。
- “The difficulty level of the game is high.” 这款游戏的难度很高。
- “We need to predict the difficulty of this project.” 我们需要预测这个项目的难度。
“Difficult” comes from the Latin word “difficilis,” where “dis-” means “not” and “-facilis” means “easy.” Therefore, things that are “difficult” are not easy. Words derived from the same root include “facile” and “facility.”
In the word “difficulty,” “-ity” is the suffix, typically used to form a noun from an adjective. It usually denotes a state or condition. Other words with the “-ity” suffix include: “nicety,” “complexity,” and “sovereignty.”
The word “difficulty” emerges from Middle English, around the late 14th century, denoting a contentious or disputed matter. Over the years, the word has evolved to represent something hard to comprehend or achieve, symbolizing challenge or adversity.
The word “difficulty” primarily serves as a noun. Its adjective form is “difficult,” and the adverb form is “difficultly.” The plural form remains “difficulties.”
“Difficult” can be remembered by visualizing it as “difficult” like climbing a high mountain - You face difficulty in reaching the top, demonstrating its meaning vividly.
“Tom, a science prodigy, faced difficulty decoding an ancient artifact. His perseverance, however, led him to success.” Tom，一个科学天才，对解读一个古老的文物感到困难。然而，他的坚韧不拔却让他成功了。