困難|こんなんkonnan[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. noun, na-adjectivedifficulty; hardship; trouble; distress
   彼かれの言いってる事ことを理解りかいするのは困難こんなんだ。↗

   I found it difficult to understand what he was saying.
2. noun, na-adjectiveinfeasibility; inability (to carry out)

• Synonym難しいむずかしいNeutralThe most common adjective for something difficult, as in 「難しい問題」. 「困難」 is a formal Sino-Japanese word used mostly for difficulty in carrying something out.
• Synonym面倒めんどうNeutralRefers to something being a bother or taking effort, as in 「面倒な手続き」. It stresses the hassle involved, while 「困難」 stresses that something is hard to accomplish.
• Synonym厄介やっかいNeutralMeans tricky or hard to deal with, as in 「厄介な客」. It stresses the trouble that comes from something being hard to handle.
• Synonym手ごわいてごわいNeutralDescribes a strong opponent who is hard to beat, as in 「手ごわい相手」, or a problem that is hard to crack. 「困難」 states objectively that something is difficult.
• SynonymきついNeutralColloquial word for tough or exhausting, as in 「仕事がきつい」. It stresses a heavy physical or mental burden, and can also mean tight or strict.
• Synonym大変たいへんNeutralIn speech it means awful or very tough, as in 「大変な仕事」. It has an exclamatory tone and is more casual than 「困難」.
• Synonym厳しいきびしいNeutralMeans severe or strict, as in 「厳しい状況」 or 「経営が厳しい」. It stresses a harsh situation rather than difficulty of execution.
• Synonym辛苦しんくWrittenWritten word for toil and hardship, seen mostly in 「艱難辛苦」. It is rarely used on its own in everyday speech.
• Synonym一苦労ひとくろうNeutralMeans quite a bit of effort, as in 「説得するのに一苦労だ」. It refers to a bout of hard work rather than difficulty in general.
• Synonym難事なんじWrittenWritten word for a difficult matter or task. It names the thing itself, while 「困難」 can also modify nouns as an adjectival noun.
• Synonym苦難くなんWrittenMeans suffering or hardship, as in 「苦難を乗り越える」. It stresses hardships encountered in life.
• Synonym苦境くきょうWrittenMeans a predicament or adverse circumstances, as in 「苦境に立つ」. It stresses the difficult position one is in.
• Synonym難局なんきょくWrittenMeans a critical, hard-to-handle situation, as in 「難局を乗り切る」. It is used mostly in politics and business.
• Synonym難儀なんぎNeutralMeans hardship or being put to trouble, or causing someone trouble. It has an old-fashioned or Kansai flavor.
• RelatedめんどくさいCasualColloquial. Emphasizes the feeling of not wanting to be bothered; it is a subjective dislike of hassle, not an objective judgment of difficulty.
• Related複雑ふくざつNeutralMeans complicated or intricate, as in 「複雑な事情」. It stresses many tangled elements and does not necessarily mean something is hard to accomplish.
• Related煩雑はんざつWrittenWritten word for something cumbersome and involved, as in 「煩雑な手続き」. It stresses being fiddly rather than hard, and is formal in register.
• Related難解なんかいWrittenWritten word for hard to understand or obscure, as in 「難解な文章」. It applies only to difficulty in comprehension.
• RelatedしんどいCasualKansai colloquialism for tiring or exhausting, as in 「この仕事はしんどい」. It stresses physical weariness.
• Related煩わしいわずらわしいNeutralMeans bothersome or wearing, as in 「人間関係が煩わしい」. It stresses that something irritates or weighs on the mind.
• Related四苦八苦しくはっくNeutralMeans to struggle painfully with something, as in 「資金集めに四苦八苦する」. It stresses the process of struggling rather than the difficulty itself.
• RelatedややこしいCasualColloquial word for something tangled and confusing, as in 「ややこしい話」. It stresses muddled, hard-to-follow details.
• RelatedむずいCasualYoung people's colloquial contraction of 「難しい」. Avoid it in formal settings.
• Related煩瑣はんさWrittenWritten word for something trivially cumbersome, close to 「煩雑」. It is rare in everyday use.
• Antonym容易よういNeutralAntonym meaning easy or effortless. It is the direct opposite of 「困難」 and leans toward written, formal use.
• Antonym簡単かんたんNeutralAntonym meaning simple or easy. It is the direct opposite of 「困難」 and is common in everyday speech.

Use 「困難」 for formal or written statements that something is hard to carry out; in everyday speech say 「難しい」. For a hassle use 「面倒」, for something tricky to deal with 「厄介」, for a harsh situation 「厳しい」, and for something hard to understand 「難解」. Colloquial choices include 「きつい」, 「しんどい」 and 「ややこしい」. The opposites are 「容易」 and 「簡単」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 解決かいけつや実行じっこうなどが難むずかしくて苦くるしむ様子ようす。