Qit's easier said than done /its ,i:zi3r ,sed бэп ёлп{ spoken say this to tell someone that something is much more difficult than they think it is: "You'// just have to find yourself a rich husband, won't you?" "tVe//, that's easier said than donel"
В something that needs a lot of skill, hard work, and determination
challenging /ЦжЦпаад/ [adjl a challenging job or activity needs a lot of hard work and skill, but you want to do it because you can achieve something good by doing it: She finds working with handicapped children challenging but extremely rewarding. I The job wasn 't challenging enough for me - I wanted something more creative.
be a challenge bi: a 'tfaeUndj/ if a new job or activity is a challenge, it is difficult, but you are determined to do it because it is interesting and exciting: You may find your first couple of months in the job quite a challenge. I И/е have to walk 60 kilometres in two days - it will be a real challenge.
demanding drmaindit]||drmaen-/ (adjl а
demanding job or activity is very difficult and tiring, because it needs all your effort and skill and a lot of your time: Being a nurse in a busy hospital is a demanding job, and you don t get much free time.
daunting /do:ntir] [adjl if something is daunting, it seems almost impossible, and the idea of doing it makes you feel nervous: Climbing Qomolangma was a
daunting challenge for any mountaineer. daunting task I was faced with the daunting task of learning the entire script in 24 hours.
a situation that is difficult to deal with or
talk about
difficult /'difiMt/ [adj] a difficult situation or subject is not easy to deal with or talk about, and it makes you feel nervous or unhappy: Things at home have been
very difficult since my fatner died. I Their relationship had been difficult from the start.
in a difficult position (=when someone has problems that are difficult to deal with) His ex-wife's accusations have put the President in a very difficult position.
awkward /o:kw9rdI [adj] an awkward situation or subject is difficult to deal with or talk about, especially because it might be embarrassing: He's at the age when kids start asking awkward questions - like 'Where do babies come from?' fee I awkward about Many people feel awkward about discussing money, even with their partner.
tricky /'tnki/ \adj\ a tricky situation is one that you have to deal with very carefully, because there are a lot of things that could easily go wrong: Teachers often have to deal with tricky situations, such as interviews with angry parents. I Although I was his boss I was much younger than him, so things were rather tricky at first.
tricky - trickier - trickiest
someone who is unhelpful and causes problems
difficult 'difiblt/ [adj] someone who is difficult is not easy to live with or work with because they do not behave in a helpful, friendly way, or they do not do what you want: IVhen Darren was a little boy, he was very difficult at times. I Campbell has the reputation of being di//icu/t to work with.
awkward j^ikwMj [adj] someone who is awkward is deliberately unhelpful and unfriendly, and seems to like causing problems for people. I don't think she's really too sick to come with us. She's just being awkward.
Qimpossible /!rapDs^l||im'pa:-/ [adj
DIFFICULT
not before noun] spoken someone who is impossible makes you annoyed and impatient, for example because they are never satisfied or they keep changing their mind: Even when I offer to help her she always finds some reason to complain. She's impossible!
a time when you have a lot of problems
dijficult/hard/tough difiMt, ha:rd,
tAf/ [adj] use this about a period of time when you have a lot of problems or a lot of bad things happen to you: The last few months have been especially difficult for her. I 1996 was perhaps the hardest year we've faced so far. have a hard/diffiCu.it/toaqh. time Try to
be nice to her. She's had a really tough
time recently.
to have problems when you are trying to do something
have difficulty hxv dffiMti/ if you
have difficulty when you are trying to do something, you cannot do it easily Have difficulty doing sth I noticed that she tuas having difficulty breathing. I Kelly was having difficulty controlling his temper.
+ witk Do you have any difficulty with spelling?
find sth difficult ; famd (sth) difiMt to
not be able to do something easily, especially because you do not have enough
ability or skilclass="underline" J found the course difficult at first, but it gradually got easier, find it dij^lcult to do stk He's very shy, and finds it difficult to talk to people.
with difficulty /w,a 'difibiti/ especially written if you do something with difficulty. you can do it, but only by using all your strength, all your determination etc: With difficulty, the old man struggled up the stairs. I She spoke with difficulty, choking back her tears.
can hardly ha:rdii if you can
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hardly do something, you can only just do it, and it is very difficult: He talks so fast, I can hardly understand what he's saying. I By the end of the day she could hardly walk.
A Don't say 'we can't hardly move'. Say we can hardly move .
О have a job doing stk -:hsev э'd^ob
Way and direction mean the same, but way is more common in spoken English and direction is more common in written English.
duiii] (sth)||-'d3a:b-, British spoken if you have a job doing something, ii takes a lo' of time or a lot of effort, and you may not be able to do it: You 'II have a job persuading him to give you any more money. I There ivas some kind of festival going on, and we had a job finding somewhere to park the car.
DIRECTION
see also way, e position & direction
the direction in which something or someone
moves
direction /d^'rekj^, daw [n С usually sin gular] the direction that something or someone is moving towards or pointing towards in sb's direction l=towards someone) We crept past, hoping that the guard would not look in our direction. in the direction of sth, (^towards something) We carried on walking in the direction of the ocean. in the right/wrong direction Are you sure we're going in the right direction? in the opposite direction Bi// marched off angrily in the opposite direction, from the direction of sth Suddenly Anna heard a shout coming from the direction of the kitchen.