Difficulty and Challenge: English Vocabulary List

full of complications or difficulties

"This is a knotty problem."

"The carpenter had to solve a knotty problem with the wood grain before he could finish the cabinet and deliver it to the customer."

so detailed and complex that understanding becomes difficult

"The rules are byzantine."

"The tax code is so byzantine that even accountants have difficulty understanding all of the rules and regulations without specialized training."

causing bewilderment or surprise

"The results are confounding."

"The confounding results of the experiment led the scientists to question their initial hypothesis and they decided to redesign the study from scratch."

lacking clarity or coherence

"His thinking is muddled."

"The student's essay was muddled and confusing so the teacher asked him to rewrite it with a clearer structure and better organization."

impossible to comprehend

"The mystery is unfathomable."

"The depths of the ocean are unfathomable to humans without special equipment and many species remain undiscovered in the dark waters."

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

"This device is idiot-proof."

"The new software is idiot-proof with simple buttons and clear instructions so anyone can use it without training."

extremely tiring and demanding strenuous effort and perseverance

"The race was grueling."

"The marathon was a grueling test of endurance and only half of the runners managed to cross the finish line before the cutoff time."

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

"The work is Sisyphean."

"Trying to eliminate all errors from the report felt like a Sisyphean task because new mistakes appeared every time they fixed an old one."

requiring great strength, effort, or courage

"The effort was Herculean."

"The firefighters made a Herculean effort to save the burning building and they managed to rescue everyone inside despite the dangerous conditions."

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

"The job is draining."

"The emotional conversation with her ex husband was draining and she needed to take a long nap afterward to recover her energy."

requiring a lot of effort and time

"The work is painstaking."

"The artist did painstaking work on the portrait and she spent over one hundred hours painting every single detail of the face."

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

"His explanation is convoluted."

"The detective had to untangle a convoluted web of lies before he could finally identify the real killer in the complicated murder case."

severe, demanding, or unrelenting in requiring effort, compliance, or performance

"The teacher is exacting."

"The ballet teacher had exacting standards and she made her students practice the same movement for hours until it was perfect."

to successfully overcome challenges or difficulties

"She surmounted every obstacle in her path."

"She faced many obstacles but she managed to surmount all of them through hard work and determination to succeed."

intended for or understood by only a small, specialized group, often due to complexity

"The book is esoteric."

"The professor's lecture on quantum physics was filled with esoteric terminology that only advanced students could fully comprehend."

to endure a difficult or dangerous situation with courage and determination

"They braved the storm to find shelter."

"The firefighters had to brave the intense flames and smoke to rescue the family trapped inside the burning house."

extremely difficult to fully comprehend

"The book is impenetrable."

"The jungle was impenetrable and the explorers had to use machetes to cut through the thick vines and dense undergrowth."

challenging situation that requires considerable effort

"The task is uphill."

"Getting the new legislation passed through Congress was an uphill task for the lawmakers."

an extremely easy task or something easily achieved

"The test was an absolute cinch."

"A cinch is something that is extremely easy to accomplish"