dificuldade

Portuguese

Alternative forms

difficuldade (pre-reform spelling)

Etymology

From Latin difficultātem (“difficulty”), from difficilis (“difficult, troublesome”), from facilis (“easy”), from faciō (“to do, to make”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put, place, set”).

Pronunciation

(Brazil) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒi.fi.kuwˈda.d͡ʒi/ [d͡ʒi.fi.kuʊ̯ˈda.d͡ʒi]
- (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒi.fi.kuwˈda.de/ [d͡ʒi.fi.kuʊ̯ˈda.de]

(Portugal) IPA^(key): /di.fi.kulˈda.dɨ/ [di.fi.kuɫˈda.ðɨ]

Hyphenation: di‧fi‧cul‧da‧de

Noun

dificuldade f (plural dificuldades)

(uncountable) difficulty (state of being difficult)
Antonym: facilidade
a difficult situation
Synonyms: obstáculo, impedimento, estorvo
- 1938, Graciliano Ramos, “Fabiano”, in Vidas Seccas [Barren Lives], Rio de Janeiro: Livraria José Olympio Editora, page 23:
  Sim senhor, um bicho, capaz de vencer difficuldades.
  Yes sir, an animal, capable of overcoming difficulties.

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