English Vocabulary in Use: Advanced Book with Answers and Enhanced eBook Vocabulary Reference and Practice 3rd Edition

68.1
68.2
68.3

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144
English Vocabulary in Use Advanced
Difficulties and dilemmas
69
Nouns relating to difficulties
Fairly small difficulties: 
a snag, a hitch, a glitch. Glitch usually refers to a technical problem of 
some kind; the other two words are more general.
More important difficulties:
A
 setback means that progress has been stopped by something.
A 
stumbling block is something that prevents action or agreement.
A 
pitfall is an unexpected difficulty (often used in the plural).
An 
obstacle is anything that stops progress, either literally or metaphorically.
An 
impediment is something that prevents free action, progress or movement.
A 
dilemma is a situation where a difficult choice has to be made between two, sometimes 
unpleasant, alternatives.
An 
ordeal is a severe experience, which is very difficult, painful or tiring.
Adjectives relating to difficulty
adjective
meaning
collocations
problematic
full of problems or difficulties
relationship, situation, concept
abstruse
difficult to understand
theory, argument, philosopher
arduous
difficult, tiring, needing much effort
climb, task, journey
complex
difficult to understand as it has many parts
issue, problem, theory, process
convoluted
unreasonably long and hard to follow
explanation, sentences, theory
gruelling
extremely tiring and difficult
journey, work, match, expedition
insufferable
difficult to bear, as it is annoying or 
uncomfortable
behaviour, heat, boredom, pain, 
person