δύσκολος
Lemma: δύσκολος
Translation: difficult; hard; challenging; tough; problematic; troublesome (adjective)
Etymology: From Ancient Greek δύσκολος, composed of δυς- (dys-), a prefix meaning 'bad' or 'difficult' (found in English words like 'dysfunctional', 'dystopia', 'dyslexia'), and κόλον meaning 'limb' or 'member'. The original sense was 'hard to satisfy' or 'hard to please', literally 'having bad limbs/members' in the sense of being awkward or unwieldy. The prefix δυς- is cognate with English 'dis-' and relates to the concept of difficulty or badness, making this word particularly memorable for English speakers who recognize the 'dys-' pattern in medical and technical terms.
Example Usage
Είναι ένα δύσκολο πρόβλημα.
It's a difficult problem.
Περνάει μια δύσκολη περίοδο.
He/she is going through a difficult period.
Τα μαθηματικά είναι δύσκολα για μένα.
Mathematics is difficult for me.
Έχει δύσκολο χαρακτήρα.
He/she has a difficult personality.
Αυτή η άσκηση είναι πολύ δύσκολη.
This exercise is very difficult.
Είναι δύσκολος άνθρωπος.
He is a difficult person.
Mnemonics
- Think 'DYS-functional' + 'COOL' - when something is dysfunctional, it's not cool and definitely difficult
- Remember 'dys-' from dyslexia - both involve difficulty
Synonyms
Cultural Context
Commonly used in educational contexts, workplace discussions, and everyday conversation to describe challenging situations, tasks, or people. Greeks often use this word to describe bureaucratic processes, which are notoriously complex in Greece.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: These are direct antonyms - δύσκολος means difficult while εύκολος means easy. The key difference is the prefix: δυς- (bad/difficult) vs ευ- (good/well).
Confused word:
Η εξέταση ήταν εύκολη.
The exam was easy.
Notes: Both words follow the same pattern with -κολος, but the prefixes are opposite in meaning
Mnemonic: δύσκολος starts with 'dys-' like dysfunction (bad), εύκολος starts with 'eu-' like euphoria (good)