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."

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

"Her face is inscrutable."

"The old man's face was inscrutable and nobody could tell whether he was happy or sad because he never showed any emotion."

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."

difficult to understand due to being complex or obscure

"The lecture was abstruse."

"The professor's lectures were so abstruse that only a few students could follow his complex arguments without extensive background knowledge."

difficult to understand or interpret

"He is enigmatic."

"The Mona Lisa's enigmatic smile has puzzled art historians for centuries and nobody knows exactly what Leonardo da Vinci intended to convey."

complicated or difficult to follow, like a maze

"The plot is labyrinthine."

"The labyrinthine corridors of the old castle made it easy to get lost and the tourists were advised to stay with their guide at all times."

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

"Her knowledge is recondite."

"The scholar's recondite knowledge of ancient languages allowed him to translate texts that had been unreadable for hundreds of years."

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."

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

"The task is daunting."

"The task of cleaning the entire house before the guests arrived was daunting so the family hired a professional cleaning service to help them."

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."

causing problem or difficulty

"This is a thorny issue."

"The committee debated the thorny issue of immigration for hours and they still could not reach a consensus on the best policy."

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."

difficult and needing a lot of energy and effort

"The duty is onerous."

"The contract placed onerous obligations on the smaller company and the lawyers advised their client not to sign the agreement under those unfair terms."

(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."

challenging situation that requires considerable effort

"It is an uphill battle."

"The company faces an uphill battle against its larger competitors but the CEO believes that innovation and hard work will lead to success."

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"