 | English  | German | |
 | intangible {adj} [difficult or impossible to understand or to define] | 1522 unfassbar [dem Verstand nicht zugänglich; unerklärbar] | |
| awkward {adj} [difficult] | 546 schwierig | |
| hard {adj} {adv} [difficult] | 229 schwierig | |
| dodgy {adj} [Br.] [coll.] [difficult, tricky] | 190 knifflig [schwierig] | |
| sticky {adj} [difficult] | 127 schwierig [heikel] | |
| formidable {adj} [difficult] | 100 schwierig | |
| hairy {adj} [also sl.: difficult] | 94 haarig [auch ugs.: schwierig] | |
| tough {adj} [difficult] | 69 schwer [Frage, Entscheidung, Aufgabe] | |
| easy {adj} [not hard or difficult] | 41 unschwer | |
| challenging {adj} [difficult] | 31 schwierig [schwer zu meistern] | |
| challenging {adj} [difficult, but interesting and enjoyable] | 23 reizvoll [schwierig, aber verlockend, lohnend] | |
| crabbed {adj} [difficult to decipher] | 21 unleserlich [kaum lesbar] | |
| demanding {adj} [requiring difficult conditions to be met] | 12 voraussetzungsvoll | |
| unhandy {adj} [difficult to handle] | 10 unhandlich | |
| kittle {adj} [archaic] [difficult to cope with, situation or person] | 8 heikel [Situation oder Person] | |
| crabbed {adj} [of handwriting, difficult to read] | schlecht lesbar | |
| impractical {adj} [difficult to implement] | schwer umsetzbar [in der Praxis] | |
| tricky {adj} [difficult] | vigelinsch [nordd.] [schwierig] | |
| Verbs |
| to stand sth. [difficult situation etc.] | 477 etw.Akk. durchstehen | |
| to obscure sth. [to make sth. more vague or difficult to comprehend] | 38 etw. verunklaren | |
| climbing to downclimb [difficult descent] | 17 abklettern | |
| Nouns |
| quagmire [difficult, precarious, or entrapping position] | 823 Zwickmühle {f} [ugs.] [fig.] | |
| pickle [coll.] [difficult situation] | 581 Klemme {f} [ugs.] [fig.] | |
| austerity [difficult economic conditions created by government measures] | 169 Knappheit {f} [wegen Rationierung] | |
| marathon [long-lasting and difficult task] | 86 Marathon {m} [seltener {n}] [langdauernde und schwierige Aufgabe] | |
| exit [fig.] [solution for a difficult situation] | 52 Ausweg {m} | |
| ling. jargon [difficult to understand language] | 24 Kauderwelsch {n} | |
| med. VetMed. dystocia [slow or difficult labor or delivery] | 10 Geburtsstörung {f} | |
| art crafts [handicrafts] [esp. rare, difficult and historic ones] | 9 Handwerkskünste {pl} | |
| neol. difficutie [sl.] [rare] [portmanteau of difficult and cutie] | 7 Sturköpfchen {n} [ugs.] [selten] [Person; nett, aber mit sturem Kopf] | |
| med. dysuria [difficult urination] | Harnstrenge {f} | |
| poser [coll.] [difficult problem or question] | harte Nuss {f} [ugs.] | |
| poser [difficult question] | knifflige Frage {f} | |
| stumper [extremely difficult question] [coll.] | knifflige Frage {f} | |
| teaser [difficult question] | schwierige Frage {f} | |
| teaser [difficult task, problem etc.] | schwierige Sache {f} | |
| teaser [difficult task] | schwierige Aufgabe {f} | |
| 2 Words: Others |
| most difficult {adj} [extremely difficult] | äußerst schwierig | |
| 2 Words: Verbs |
| to demand sth. from sb. [expect sth. difficult or unreasonable] | jdm. etw.Akk. zumuten | |
| to mess about [coll.] [make trouble, be difficult] | Zicken machen [ugs.] [fig.] [Ärger, Schwierigkeiten machen] | |
| to see sb./sth. through [e.g. a difficult time] | durchbringen [fig.] [z. B. durch eine schwierige Situation] | |
| to see sb./sth. through sth. [e.g. a difficult time] | jdn./etw. durchbringen [fig.] [begleiten] | |
| to snooker sb. into sth. [Am.] [get someone in a difficult situation] | jdn. in etw. hineinmanövrieren [jemanden in eine schwierige Situation bringen] | |
| to stick at sth. [coll.] [continue doing sth., esp. practising (a skill), even it is difficult] | bei etw.Dat. bleiben [an etw. dranbleiben, etw. nicht aufgeben] | |
| 2 Words: Nouns |
| a job [coll.] [a difficult task] | ein (hartes) Stück {n} Arbeit | |
| a mouthful [hum.] [fig.] [a complicated word difficult to pronounce] | ein Zungenbrecher {m} | |
| hard case [difficult case] | schwieriger Fall {m} | |
| hard decision [difficult decision] | schwere Entscheidung {f} | |
| hard decision [difficult decision] | schwierige Entscheidung {f} | |
| long haul [fig.] [long, tiring, often difficult task] | Durststrecke {f} [fig.] | |
| art law lit. orphan work [work whose copyright owner is difficult to trace or cannot be found] | verwaistes Werk {n} | |
| tough choice [difficult choice] | schwierige Entscheidung {f} | |
| tricky business [coll.] [difficult situation] | schwierige Angelegenheit {f} | |
| tricky business [coll.] [difficult situation] | verzwickte Sache {f} [ugs.] | |
| equest. unruly horse [difficult horse] | schwieriges Pferd {n} | |
| 3 Words: Others |
| in a squeeze [coll.] [in a difficult situation] | in der Klemme | |
| 3 Words: Verbs |
| to be a bitch [vulg.] [very difficult task] | verdammt schwierig sein [ugs.] | |
| to be a killer [coll.] [difficult thing] | ein harter Brocken sein [ugs.] | |
| to get sth. over with [Am.] [sth. unpleasant or difficult [idiom]] | etw.Akk. hinter sichAkk. bringen [ugs.] [Redewendung] [bewältigen] | |
| to run sb./sth. to ground [idiom] [find sb./sth. after a difficult search] | jdn./etw. (endlich) aufspüren | |
| to stand one's ground [idiom] [prove oneself in a difficult situation] | seinen Mann stehen [Redewendung] [erfolgreich sein und sich bewähren] | |
| 3 Words: Nouns |
| a tough call [difficult choice to make] | eine schwierige Wahl {f} | |
| a tough call [difficult decision to make] | eine schwierige Entscheidung {f} | |
| games million-dollar question [most difficult to answer] | Millionenfrage {f} [fig.] [entscheidende Frage] | |
| 4 Words: Others |
| easy on the cook {adj} [not difficult for a cook to do] | leicht zu kochen | |
| 4 Words: Verbs |
| to be difficult to say [also figurative for difficult to discern] | sich schwer sagen lassen [auch figurativ für schwer wahrzunehmen] | |
| to be no mean feat [idiom] [be difficult to achieve / to do] | kein leichtes Unterfangen sein [Vorhaben] | |
| to be over one's head [idiom] [too difficult to understand] | zu hoch für jdn. sein [ugs.] [Redewendung] [zu schwer zu verstehen] | |
| idiom to be over one's head [too difficult to understand] | jds. Horizont übersteigen [zu schwer zu verstehen] | |
| 5+ Words: Verbs |
| to be too hot to handle [too difficult or unpleasant] | zu heiß sein [zu schwierig oder unangenehm sein] | |
| 5+ Words: Nouns |
| a tough nut to crack [fig.] [a difficult task] | ein harter Brocken {m} [fig.] [eine schwierige Aufgabe] | |
