19
knotted(adjective, hard, complex)
18
strenuous(adjective, dull, hard, great, tough)
18
cruel(adjective, hard, nasty, harsh, complex)
18
daedal(adjective, hard, complex, involved, complicated)
18
toilful(adjective, hard, complex, awkward, demanding)
18
unbearable(adjective, hard, complex)
17
finicky(adjective, tough, harsh, meticulous, fussy)
17
awkward(adjective, tough, rough, harsh, delicate)
16
delicate(adjective, hard, awkward, uneasy, tricky)
16
exacting(adjective, dull, hard, tough, severe)
16
fussy(adjective, hard, tough, harsh, particular)
14
fastidious(adjective, tough, careful, scrupulous, particular)
14
formidable(adjective, hard, tough, severe, evil)
14
heavy(adjective, dull, hard, tough, severe)
13
abstruse(adjective, hard, obscure, strange, uncertain)
13
exhausting(adjective, dull, hard, tough, awkward)
13
perplexing(adjective, hard, fancy, obscure, delicate)
12
obscure(adjective, hard, strange, uncertain, complex)
12
unmanageable(adjective, tough, terrible, wild, awkward)
11
critical(adjective, hard, crabby, cranky, meticulous)
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APASmart Define. (2016). difficult thesaurus. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/difficult/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2016. "difficult thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/difficult/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2016, difficult thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/difficult/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "difficult thesaurus" 24 March 2016. Web. 20 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/difficult/thesaurus/synonyms>