word-vault
Version:
A lightweight JavaScript package for English word definitions and collections.
211 lines (210 loc) • 7.79 kB
JSON
{
"term": "difficult",
"partOfSpeech": "adjective",
"ox3000": true,
"cefr": "a1",
"definitions": [
{
"senseNumber": 1,
"definition": "not easy; needing effort or skill to do or to understand",
"sensetop": "difficult for somebodyit is difficult to do somethingsomething is difficult to doit is difficult for somebody to do something",
"cefr": "a1",
"ox3000": true,
"examples": [
{
"text": "The competition judges were given a very **difficult task**."
},
{
"text": "a difficult decision/question"
},
{
"text": "Asking for help is **extremely difficult** for some people.",
"contextForm": "difficult for somebody"
},
{
"text": "It's really difficult to read your writing.",
"contextForm": "it is difficult to do something"
},
{
"text": "Your writing is really difficult to read.",
"contextForm": "something is difficult to do"
},
{
"text": "It is difficult to imagine how this could have happened."
},
{
"text": "She **finds it** very **difficult** to get up early."
},
{
"text": "It's difficult for them to get here much before seven.",
"contextForm": "it is difficult for somebody to do something"
},
{
"text": "It has become **increasingly difficult** for young people to buy a house."
},
{
"text": "It is getting more and more difficult to find a job."
},
{
"text": "The fog made driving very difficult."
},
{
"text": "He finds French pronunciation quite difficult."
},
{
"text": "Finding an acceptable solution proved more difficult."
},
{
"text": "I was given the difficult task of informing the girl's parents of her disappearance."
},
{
"text": "Senior lawyers handle the most difficult cases."
},
{
"text": "She is confronted with a difficult choice."
},
{
"text": "The design of the building posed some difficult challenges."
},
{
"text": "The exam questions were particularly difficult."
},
{
"text": "We didn't realize how difficult it was going to be."
},
{
"text": "The application process is notoriously difficult."
},
{
"text": "It is difficult to understand who this book is aimed at."
}
],
"collocations": {
"verbs": ["be", "look", "prove"],
"adverb": ["extremely", "fairly", "very"]
}
},
{
"senseNumber": 2,
"definition": "full of problems; causing a lot of trouble",
"cefr": "a1",
"ox3000": true,
"examples": [
{
"text": "I found myself in a **difficult situation**."
},
{
"text": "difficult conditions/circumstances"
},
{
"text": "I'd had a **difficult time** and needed a break."
},
{
"text": "a difficult year/month"
},
{
"text": "My boss is **making life** very **difficult** for me."
},
{
"text": "13 is a difficult age."
},
{
"text": "They had to set up camp in extremely difficult conditions."
},
{
"text": "His presence there put me in a very difficult position."
},
{
"text": "The next few months were quite difficult."
},
{
"text": "These are difficult and painful memories."
},
{
"text": "Her childhood was incredibly difficult."
},
{
"text": "Change is difficult for everyone."
},
{
"text": "The challenge of vaccinating the entire adult population is made doubly difficult by misinformation."
},
{
"text": "What's the most difficult personal situation you've ever been in?"
},
{
"text": "There was a great deal of difficult terrain to be covered."
}
],
"topics": ["Difficulty and failure", "Personal qualities"],
"collocations": {
"verbs": ["be", "look", "prove"],
"adverb": ["extremely", "fairly", "very"]
}
},
{
"senseNumber": 3,
"definition": "not easy to please; not helpful",
"cefr": "b1",
"ox3000": true,
"examples": [
{
"text": "a difficult child/customer/boss"
},
{
"text": "Don't pay any attention to her—she's just being difficult."
},
{
"text": "The singer has a difficult reputation."
},
{
"text": "Roger was always a difficult child."
},
{
"text": "We have training in how to deal with difficult customers."
},
{
"text": "In every workplace there's always someone you find difficult."
},
{
"text": "Stop being so difficult."
}
],
"synonyms": "awkward"
},
{
"senseNumber": null,
"definition": "to have difficulty doing something",
"examples": [
{
"text": "You'll have a job convincing them that you're right."
},
{
"text": "He had a hard job to make himself heard."
},
{
"text": "She'll have a tough job getting the team into shape in time."
},
{
"text": "It's very dark out there—you'll have a job to see anything."
}
],
"topics": ["Difficulty and failure"]
}
],
"pronunciations": {
"uk": [
{
"pronunciation": "/ˈdɪfɪkəlt/",
"audio": "di/difficult/difficult__gb_2.mp3"
}
],
"us": [
{
"pronunciation": "/ˈdɪfɪkəlt/",
"audio": "di/difficult/difficult__us_2_rr.mp3"
}
]
},
"wordOrigin": "late Middle English: back-formation from difficulty."
}