Difficulty and Challenge

confounding

Adjective

/kən.faʊn.dɪng/ or /kēn.faoon.ding/

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Select Your Language

Disapproving

Formal

causing bewilderment or surprise

inscrutable

Adjective

/ɪns.kru.tə.bəl/ or /ins.kroo.tē.bēl/

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Disapproving

Formal

extremely difficult or seemingly impossible to understand or interpret due to its unclear intent or cause

muddled

Adjective

/mə.dəld/ or /mē.dēld/

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Select Your Language

lacking clarity or coherence

unfathomable

Adjective

/ʌn.fæ.ðə.mə.bəl/ or /an.fā.dhē.mē.bēl/

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Disapproving

Formal

impossible to comprehend

impenetrable

Adjective

/ɪm.pɛ.nɪt.rə.bəl/ or /im.pe.nit.rē.bēl/

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Select Your Language

extremely difficult to fully comprehend

labyrinthine

Adjective

/læ.bɜ.rɪn.θin/ or /lā.bē.rin.thin/

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Select Your Language

Disapproving

Formal

complicated or difficult to follow, like a maze

recondite

Adjective

/rɛ.kən.daɪt/ or /re.kēn.dait/

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Disapproving

Formal

difficult to understand or obscure to most people due to its complexity

idiot-proof

Adjective

/ˈɪdɪətpɹˈuːf/

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Approving

Informal

designed to be so simple that even someone with little knowledge or skill can use it without making mistakes

grueling

Adjective

/gruɪ.lɪng/ or /grooi.ling/

g

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uɪ

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Select Your Language

Disapproving

extremely tiring and demanding strenuous effort and perseverance

daunting

Adjective

/dɔn.tɪng/ or /dawn.ting/

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ɔ

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Disapproving

intimidating, challenging, or overwhelming in a way that creates a sense of fear or unease

Sisyphean

Adjective

/sˈɪsɪfˌiən/

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Disapproving

Formal

relating to a task that is endless, futile, and laborious

Herculean

Adjective

/hɝkˈjuɫiən/

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Formal

requiring great strength, effort, or courage

draining

Adjective

/dreɪ.nɪng/ or /drei.ning/

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eɪ

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Select Your Language

Disapproving

causing a significant loss of physical, emotional, or mental energy

thorny

Adjective

/θɔr.ni/ or /thawr.ni/

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θ

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Select Your Language

Disapproving

causing problem or difficulty

painstaking

Adjective

/peɪns.teɪ.kɪng/ or /peins.tei.king/

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Select Your Language

requiring a lot of effort and time

onerous

Adjective

/oʊ.nɜ.rəs/ or /ooo.nē.rēs/

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Select Your Language

Disapproving

Formal

difficult and needing a lot of energy and effort

convoluted

Adjective

/kɑn.və.lu.təd/ or /kaan.vē.loo.tēd/

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Select Your Language

Disapproving

(of sentences, explanations, arguments, etc.) long and difficult to understand, often due to complexity or excessive detail

exacting

Adjective

/ɪ.gzæk.tɪng/ or /i.gzāk.ting/

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Formal

requiring a great amount of effort, skill, or care

hard-won

Adjective

/hˈɑːɹdwˈʌn/

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Approving

achieving something after facing a lot of challenges and putting in a great deal of effort

uphill

Adjective

/ə.phɪl/ or /ē.phil/

u

ə

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Disapproving

Informal

challenging situation that requires considerable effort

wearisome

Adjective

/wɪ.ri.səm/ or /vi.ri.sēm/

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Select Your Language

Disapproving

causing fatigue or irritation due to being repetitive or tiresome

cinch

noun

/sɪnʧ/ or /sinch/

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ch

ʧ

Select Your Language

Approving

Informal

an extremely easy task or something easily achieved