Difficultate to Digestedly
Difficultate
(Dif"fi*cult*ate) v. t. To render difficult; to difficilitate. [Obs.] Cotgrave.
Difficultly
(Dif"fi*cult*ly), adv. With difficulty. Cowper.
Difficultness
(Dif"fi*cult*ness), n. Difficulty. [R.] Golding.
Difficulty
(Dif"fi*cul*ty) n.; pl. Difficulties [L. difficultas, fr. difficilis difficult; dif- = dis- + facilis easy: cf.
F. difficulté. See Facile.]
1. The state of being difficult, or hard to do; hardness; arduousness; — opposed to easiness or facility; as,
the difficulty of a task or enterprise; a work of difficulty.
Not being able to promote them [the interests of life] on account of the difficulty of the region.
James
Byrne. 2. Something difficult; a thing hard to do or to understand; that which occasions labor or perplexity, and
requires skill and perseverance to overcome, solve, or achieve; a hard enterprise; an obstacle; an impediment; as,
the difficulties of a science; difficulties in theology.
They lie under some difficulties by reason of the emperor's displeasure.
Addison. 3. A controversy; a falling out; a disagreement; an objection; a cavil.
Measures for terminating all local difficulties.
Bancroft. 4. Embarrassment of affairs, especially financial affairs; — usually in the plural; as, to be in difficulties.
In days of difficulty and pressure.
Tennyson. Syn. — Impediment; obstacle; obstruction; embarrassment; perplexity; exigency; distress; trouble; trial; objection; cavil.
See Impediment.
Diffide
(Dif*fide") v. i. [L. diffidere. See Diffident.] To be distrustful. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.
Diffidence
(Dif"fi*dence) n. [L. diffidentia.]
1. The state of being diffident; distrust; want of confidence; doubt of the power, ability, or disposition of
others. [Archaic]
That affliction grew heavy upon me, and weighed me down even to a diffidence of God's mercy.
Donne. 2. Distrust of one's self or one's own powers; lack of self-reliance; modesty; modest reserve; bashfulness.
It is good to speak on such questions with diffidence.
Macaulay.
An Englishman's habitual diffidence and awkwardness of address.
W. Irving. Syn. — Humility; bashfulness; distrust; suspicion; doubt; fear; timidity; apprehension; hesitation. See Humility,
and Bashfulness.
Diffidency
(Dif"fi*den*cy) n. See Diffidence. [Obs.]
Diffident
(Dif"fi*dent) a. [L. diffidens, -entis, p. pr. of diffidere; dif- = dis + fidere to trust; akin to fides
faith. See Faith, and cf. Defy.]
