Difficulty and Complexity: English Vocabulary List

to make something unclear or difficult to understand

"Don't muddy the water."

"His confusing and contradictory explanation only served to muddy the issue further instead of clarifying it for the confused audience."

to create difficulty or obstacles that make it hard for something to happen or progress

"The snow impeded our travel plans."

"The fallen tree across the road impeded the progress of the emergency vehicles trying to reach the accident scene."

to intentionally damage or undermine something, often for personal gain or as an act of protest or revenge

"Someone sabotages the factory machinery deliberately."

"The disgruntled employee tried to sabotage the project by deleting important files from the shared computer drive."

to create obstacles or difficulties that prevent progress, movement, or success

"Heavy traffic hindered our progress."

"The heavy rain and strong winds greatly hindered the firefighters' efforts to control the massive wildfire that was spreading quickly through the dry forest."

the state of being unclear due to multiple possible meanings

"The ambiguity of the statement confused everyone."

"The contract contained a dangerous ambiguity about who was responsible for repairs and both parties interpreted the clause differently."

a very small and barely noticeable difference in tone, appearance, manner, meaning, etc.

"She understands subtle nuance."

"She understands every subtle nuance of the language after living in the country for many years."

done with little or no difficulty

"Her dance seemed effortless."

"The effortless grace of the professional dancer made the difficult routine look easy even though she had practiced it for thousands of hours."

(of a task) needing great effort, skill, etc.

"Her boss is demanding."

"Her job is very demanding and she often works late into the night to finish all of her tasks on 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."

difficult to grasp mentally

"The answer is elusive."

"The elusive criminal managed to escape from the police three times and they still have not been able to catch him."

easy to comprehend or perform without any difficulties

"The instructions are straightforward."

"The instructions were straightforward so we did not need any help to assemble the new bookshelf in our living room yesterday."

clear in meaning or expression

"Her speech was comprehensible."

"The professor spoke slowly and clearly so that his lecture would be comprehensible to the international students who were still learning the language."

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."

capable of being seen or observed

"The difference is discernible."

"The difference between the two shades of white is barely discernible to the naked eye."

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."

so slight or gradual that it cannot be noticed

"The change was imperceptible."

"The change in temperature was imperceptible but she still put on a jacket anyway."

difficult or impossible to understand or interpret

"His handwriting is indecipherable."

"His handwriting is indecipherable so nobody can read his notes from class."

unable to be read or understood because of poor handwriting or print quality

"The signature is illegible."

"The signature on the document is illegible so we cannot tell who signed it."

having many complex parts or details that make it difficult to understand or work with

"The pattern is intricate."

"The intricate clockwork mechanism required a skilled artisan to repair and maintain its delicate moving parts."

in a way that involves intense physical effort

"He worked strenuously."

"He strenuously denied the accusations and claimed that he had never met the woman who accused him of the crime."