the most challenging operation I’ve ever tackled,” the surgeon admitted.
demanding
Dad had a demanding week at work.
formidable
Rescuing thousands from the earthquake rubble was a formidable task.
knotty
It was a knotty problem: to cross the deep river without a bridge!
puzzling
Zara is puzzling. One minute she’s pleasant, the next she’s horrid.
tricky
The climbers were in a tricky situation, stuck on the ledge as night drew in.
physically difficult:
backbreaking
Digging the canals by hand was a backbreaking job for the navvies.
laborious
Archaeology is laborious work, digging slowly and sifting carefully.
strenuous
Marathon running is a strenuous business.
difficult (2) ADJECTIVE
Someone who is difficult behaves in an unreasonable way.
awkward
“That horse is awkward,” said the cowboy, “but I’ll ride him eventually.”
troublesome
The troublesome twins made their teacher’s life a hard one.
trying
Mrs Kray had a trying time with Class 6 and their spellings.
uncooperative
Uncooperative people never work well in a team.
difficulty NOUN
A difficulty is a problem.
complication
The biggest complication for Brunel was that his tunnel kept flooding.
dilemma
Karen faced a dilemma. Should she play with her friends or help her mum?
hitch
After a hitch with the curtains, the play began five minutes late.
obstacle
The star encountered many obstacles on the road to fame.
plight
“Your plight is indeed a sorry one,” said the knight to the damsel in the tower.
snag
Progress on the house was smooth, until they hit a snag when they found a hole in the roof.
dig VERB
If you dig, you make a hole in earth or sand, especially with a spade or shovel.
burrow
Rabbits create warrens by burrowing into hillsides.
delve
The diggers delved deeper, looking for a glimmer of gold.
excavate
Rescue workers excavated the rubble to free the trapped people.
hollow out
We hollowed out a dip in the sand in which to build our camp fire.
scoop out
The squirrel scooped out a hole in the early snow to reach the acorns beneath.
dim ADJECTIVE
Something that is dim is lacking in brightness and badly lit.
faint
As they neared Mordor, faint lights shone in the hills beyond.
gloomy
The gloomy passages of the castle were lit by flaming torches on the walls.
shadowy
I had trouble finding my way across the shadowy room to reach the light switch.
vague
Ben Nevis was just a vague outline seen through the morning mist.
ANTONYM: bright
dinosaur NOUN
Dinosaurs are large animals that lived millions of years ago.
Some types of dinosaur:
apatosaurus
diplodocus
iguanodon
pterodactyl
stegosaurus
triceratops
tyrannosaurus
velociraptor
dirt NOUN
Dirt is any unclean substance such as dust, mud or stains.
filth
Below the sink, the shelf was caked with filth.
grime
Grime from a thousand mill chimneys had blackened the local buildings.
muck
It took me hours to clean the muck from the wheels of my bike.
dirty (1) ADJECTIVE
Something that is dirty is marked or covered with dirt.
filthy
“Get rid of that filthy rag,” my dad ordered.
grimy
The windows were so grimy we could barely see out of them.
grubby
Mum suggested my little brother wash his grubby hands.
mucky
My father enjoys mucky jobs like gardening.
mud-caked
