難しい|むずかしいmuzukashii[4]nakadaka (mid-high)

1. i-adjectivedifficult; hard; troublesome; complicated; serious (disease, problem, etc.)
   私は彼女かのじょに難むずかしい質問しつもんをした。↗

   I asked her a difficult question.
2. i-adjectiveimpossible; unfeasiblesofter than 無理
3. i-adjectivefussy; particular; fastidious; hard to please; displeased
   あの老人ろうじんは食べ物たべものに難むずかしい。↗

   That old man is a fussy eater.
4. i-adjectivegloomy; glum; sullen; serious (look)
5. i-adjectivedirty; unclean; filthy; detestable
6. i-adjectiveunpleasant; uncomfortable; creepy; spooky

• Synonym困難こんなんWrittenA formal Sino-Japanese word for something hard to achieve or a difficult situation, as in 「困難な状況」; more formal than 「難しい」.
• Synonym厄介やっかいNeutralTroublesome and hard to deal with, as in 「厄介な問題」; it carries a sense of being a bother, while 「難しい」 focuses on the difficulty itself.
• Synonym面倒めんどうNeutralRefers to something that takes effort or is a bother, as in 「面倒な手続き」; it stresses cumbersomeness rather than difficulty.
• Synonym手ごわいてごわいNeutralSaid of a strong opponent or something hard to handle, as in 「手ごわい相手」; it views the challenge from the coping side, while 「難しい」 describes the task itself.
• SynonymややこしいCasualColloquial for something tangled and confusing, as in 「ややこしい話」; common in the Kansai region.
• Synonym難いかたいWrittenMostly used as 「～難い」 attached to a verb, as in 「信じ難い」, to mean hard to do; it rarely stands alone.
• RelatedめんどくさいCasualColloquial for feeling something is a bother and not wanting to do it; it stresses subjective reluctance rather than difficulty.
• RelatedきついCasualColloquial for tough, strenuous work or a harsh demand, as in 「この仕事はきつい」; it stresses the heavy burden.
• RelatedしんどいCasualColloquial in Kansai and nearby regions for tiring, draining work, as in 「しんどい作業」; it stresses the feeling of exhaustion.
• Related大変たいへんNeutralMeans arduous or tremendous, as in 「大変な仕事」; it stresses the toil involved or the seriousness of a situation.
• Related複雑ふくざつNeutralDescribes something structurally complex with many intertwined elements, as in 「複雑な仕組み」; it stresses complexity rather than difficulty.
• Related煩わしいわずらわしいWrittenA written-style word for something fiddly and annoying, as in 「煩わしい手続き」.
• RelatedハードNeutralA loanword for strenuous or tough, as in 「ハードな練習」; used mostly of work and training.
• RelatedヘビーNeutralA loanword for heavy or a big burden, as in 「ヘビーな内容」.
• RelatedめんどいCasualA colloquial shortening of 「面倒くさい」, common among young people; it expresses being bothered, not that the task itself is hard.
• Related煩雑はんざつWrittenA written word for something complicated and cumbersome, as in 「煩雑な事務」.
• RelatedタフNeutralA loanword meaning tough; it is also used colloquially of a demanding, hard-fought task, as in 「タフな交渉」.
• AntonymやさしいNeutralThe direct opposite of 「難しい」: easy, simple.
• Antonym簡単かんたんNeutralThe opposite of 「難しい」: simple and easy; it can also mean brief or quick.
• Antonym容易よういWrittenA written-style antonym meaning easy, as in 「容易に解決できる」.

For plain difficulty, 「難しい」 is the default. Use 「困難」 in formal talk of hard-to-achieve things, 「面倒」 or 「厄介」 for hassle, 「複雑」 or 「ややこしい」 for complexity, 「大変」 or 「きつい」 for tough, draining work, and 「～難い」 after verbs for hard to do. Antonyms: 「易しい」, 「簡単」, and written 「容易」.

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

1. 理解りかいし、結論けつろんを引き出ひきだすのが困難こんなんである。
2. 実現じつげんすることが容易よういではない。
3. 解決かいけつするのに多おおくの苦労くろうを要ようする。
4. 不可能ふかのうとは言い切いいきれないが、可能性かのうせいが低ひくい。
5. なかなか回復かいふくの見込みこみがない。
6. 応対おうたいに際さいし細こまかな配慮はいりょを必要ひつようとし、うまく接せっするのが困難こんなんである。
7. 心持こころもちを不快ふかいにする。（人ひとが）不機嫌ふきげんな様子ようすだ。