2
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difficulty
verbs
have difficulties
• By the age of eight, Robbie was having difficulties at school.
run into/get into difficulties
(= find yourself in a difficult situation )
• Three people were rescued from a boat that had got into difficulties.
experience/encounter difficulties
formal (= have difficulties )
• Graduates often experience considerable difficulties in getting their first job.
face difficulties
• The hotel’s owners were facing financial difficulties.
overcome/resolve difficulties
(= deal with them successfully )
• We are confident that we can overcome these difficulties.
present/pose difficulties
formal (= be something that is difficult to deal with )
• English spelling may present some difficulties for learners.
be fraught with difficulties
(= involve a lot of them )
• The whole plan was fraught with difficulties.
cause/lead to difficulties
• Stress and worry both cause sleep difficulties.
give rise to difficulties
formal (= cause them )
• The stormy weather gave rise to difficulties for many of the competitors in the yacht race.
difficulties arise
(= happen )
• It’s best to discuss any difficulties that arise rather than trying to deal with them alone.
adjectives
major/serious/severe difficulties
• By then, we were having serious financial difficulties.
considerable difficulties
(= a lot of problems )
• They had considerable difficulties in getting funding for their research.
technical difficulties
• The flight was delayed due to technical difficulties.
practical difficulties
(= problems with doing something )
• It’s a great idea, but there will be a number of practical difficulties.
financial/economic difficulties
• The company is facing serious financial difficulties.
breathing difficulties
• She was taken to hospital with breathing difficulties.
marital difficulties
(= in a marriage )
• You may need help in dealing with your marital difficulties.
transnet.ir
3
general::
noun ADJ. considerable, enormous, grave, great, major, real, serious, severe We had enormous difficulty in getting hold of the right equipment. | insurmountable | increasing questions of increasing difficulty | inherent the difficulties inherent in treating overdose patients | particular, special English spelling presents special difficulties for foreign learners. | economic, financial | practical, technical I think we've managed to overcome most of the practical difficulties. | behavioural, emotional, learning children with learning difficulties QUANT. level The games have various different levels of difficulty. VERB + DIFFICULTY encounter, experience, face, get into, have, run into Among the difficulties encountered was a lack of cooperation on the part of the authorities. Anyone experiencing difficulty with radio reception should call us on the new helpline. Let me know if you have any difficulties. I had little difficulty in persuading the others to come. The scheme has run into serious difficulties. | cause, create, make, present Will it cause any difficulties if I go early? She is always making difficulties for herself. | cope with, deal with, overcome, resolve, solve, surmount | avoid how to avoid technical difficulties | be fraught with The situation was fraught with difficulty. DIFFICULTY + VERB arise, crop up Difficulties arise when people fail to consult their colleagues. | lie (in sth) The difficulty lies in identifying the precise nature of the problem. PREP. despite a/the ~ Despite all the difficulties, he still remains optimistic. | in ~ We could see that the swimmer was in difficulties. | with/without ~ We crossed the border without any difficulty. Life in the city was not without its difficulties. | ~ in She had difficulty in starting her car. | ~ of the difficulty of finding affordable accommodation | ~ with having difficulty with the engine
Oxford Collocations Dictionary