What is the difference between hard and difficult

Password recovery. Recover your password. What is the difference between Realize and Notice? Difference between Where vs Were vs Wear. Connect with:. Connect with. I allow to create an account. When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.

Hm, I'll try! As an example, in a formal article I'd expect to see something like—"All involved acknowledge that the unrest in the Middle East will be difficult to resolve. It's a subtle distinction, though—and one that may not matter much generally. Add a comment. I think most people would say Your neighbor is hard to understand. David Blomstrom David Blomstrom 6, 2 2 gold badges 21 21 silver badges 32 32 bronze badges. And it could also apply if the neighbor is behaving irrationally.

Some examples of non-interchangeable sentences: The rock is a hard, solid object. Susan was being very difficult while talking with her counselor about what happened on Saturday. Jaico Jaico 83 1 1 gold badge 2 2 silver badges 7 7 bronze badges. Of course, the rock could be difficult, if it is in a bad place and you're trying to move it.

And Susan can be hard cold and unemotional while talking to her counselor. HotLicks Sure you could describe a rock as difficult in a different sentence and with different context. But not in this one. As for the susan one, the word difficult and hard could both be used, but they bring slightly but significant enough different meanings.

Featured on Meta. Now live: A fully responsive profile. Related Hot Network Questions. Difficult is a step up from hard. If something is difficult, it is usually harder to achieve than something that is hard generally speaking, anyway.

People usually say difficult if the thing is really hard, rather than just hard. I agree with tepatria. In the sentences quoted there is absolutely no difference.

Here the meaning is awkward and hard does not fit. Last edited: Sep 7, Thank you. Linkway Senior Member British English. I suppose we could casually say "Diamonds are difficult" in some converstations, as a short form for eg "Diamonds are difficult to sell on the black market".

In this case, we don't mean the diamonds themselves are "difficult"; it is the selling of them that is difficult. Also "He's a hard man" is likely to refer to his toughness.