difficulty noun [countable usually plural, uncountable] a problem that makes it more difficult to do something that you are trying to do:
The company has managed to overcome (=deal with) its recent financial difficulties.
Many people experience difficulty in sleeping at some time in their lives.
The project ran into difficulty (=started to have difficulties) because of lack of money.
This type of research is fraught with difficulty (=involves a lot of difficulties).
trouble noun [uncountable and countable] a problem or several problems that make something difficult, spoil your plans etc:
The trouble was caused by a loose wire.
They had trouble finding the building where the meeting was held.
Students of English often have trouble with phrasal verbs.
The company ran into trouble (=started to have problems) when it tried to expand too quickly.
STUDY NOTE: Grammar
Trouble can be used either as an uncountable noun, for example: They had a great deal of trouble with the new computer system or as a countable noun, for example: Teenagers often find it difficult to tell their parents about their troubles. (=about the problems in their lives that are making them worried and unhappy)
complication noun [countable] an additional problem that makes a bad or difficult situation even harder to deal with than it already is:
The project should finish in June, provided that there are no more complications.
The surgeons knew it would be a difficult operation. A further complication (=another complication) was that the patient was in her 60s.
setback noun [countable] something that happens which stops you making progress or which makes things worse than they were before:
The peace talks suffered a major setback when a bomb exploded outside the conference hotel.
Despite some early setbacks, his campaign for the presidency was successful.
obstacle noun [countable] a difficult problem that stops someone or something making progress or developing:
Criminal gangs are the biggest obstacle to democratic reform.
The lack of child care is an enormous obstacle to women's participation in the work force.
There are still some major technical obstacles to overcome (=to deal with).
pitfall noun [countable] a problem that is likely to happen when you are doing something, especially one that is caused by a mistake that people often make:
The book shows you how to avoid the usual pitfalls when you are at an interview.
The most common pitfall when treating the disease is to give too much treatment too late.
Financial advisers should explain to customers the potential pitfalls (=the problems that could happen) of investing in risky small company stocks.
dilemma noun [countable] a situation in which it is very difficult to decide what to do, because all the choices seem equally good or equally bad:
The doctors were faced with a moral dilemma. Should they carry out the operation, when there was such a small chance of success?
Kennedy found himself in a dilemma over Cuba. On the one hand he did not want to risk a nuclear war, but on the other he could not allow the Russians to place nuclear weapons so close to American soil.
vicious circle noun [singular] a situation in which one problem causes another problem, that then causes the first problem again, so that the whole process continues to be repeated:
Some developing countries get caught in a vicious circle. They cannot afford to pay their debt repayments, and so the debts get even bigger.
Stress at work can create a vicious circle. If you feel stressed and under pressure, you take longer to do your job, and because you take longer you become more stressed.
2. Small problems
teething problems / troubles noun [plural] small problems which happen when you start using or doing something new:
With any computer system, there are likely to be one or two teething problems at first.
There have been some teething troubles with the new rail service.
hitch noun [countable] a small problem when you are trying to do something:
Everything went well on the first night of the play except for one or two slight hitches with the lighting.
The plan went off without a hitch. (=There were no problems)
snag noun [countable] a small problem or disadvantage, especially in something which is mainly good and satisfactory:
The only snag with going on holiday in Sweden is the cost.
There are one or two little snags that needed to be ironed out. (=dealt with)
Almost immediately after they began their research, they hit a series of snags. (=they had to deal with a number of small problems)
STUDY NOTE: Grammar
Hitch and snag are informal words, and should not be used in formal essays. 3. Solutions
solution noun [countable] a way of dealing with a problem:
Politicians have been trying to find a solution to the housing crisis for many years now.
In this essay I shall consider the main causes of the problem of air pollution, and try to put forward (=suggest) some possible solutions.
Unless scientists can come up with a solution (=think of a solution) quickly, we may soon run out of sources of energy.
When people become too old to look after themselves, the ideal solution is for other members of their family to look after them.
If you have difficulty sleeping, you need to identify the factors that are causing it and deal with them. That is the only effective long-term solution.
There was no easy solution to Tom's problem. (=there was no easy way of dealing with it)
answer noun [countable] a successful way of dealing with a problem or an unsatisfactory situation:
Some people believe that the only answer to the problem of rising crime is to build more prisons.
It would be mistaken to think that science and technology can always provide an answer to everything.
There are no easy answers to the problem of teenage pregnancies.
People have been struggling with this problem for a long time, but no one has yet come up with an answer. (=thought of an answer)
way out noun [countable] a way of dealing with a very serious situation which you have become involved in:
The president's advisors are trying to find a way out of the crisis.
At first there seemed to be no way out of her difficulties.
cure noun [countable] a way of completely getting rid of a problem, especially one that affects many people in society, so that it does not happen again: