FluentPlex

problem

/ˈpɹɑbləm/ noun A1
  1. A difficulty that has to be resolved or dealt with. · She's leaving because she faced numerous problems to do with racism.
  2. An addiction, other substance use disorder, or comparable psychological challenge. · I think he has a gambling problem. Lending him money will probably only make it worse.· I think he has a nose candy problem. Lending him money will probably only make it worse.
  3. A question to be answered, schoolwork exercise. · Study hard, but don't overdo it. The problems in the exam won't be difficult to solve.
  4. A puzzling circumstance.
  5. Objection. · You got a problem with that?
  6. Difficulty in accepting or understanding or refusal to accept or understand. · You made your best honest effort; if they judge you harshly, that’s their problem, not yours.
  7. A set of moves required to complete a climb.

Plural problems

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From the library

In solving a problem of this sort, the grand thing is to be able to reason backwards.
A Study in Scarlet, p. 80 · B2
I left Holmes seated in front of the smouldering fire, and long into the watches of the night I heard the low, melancholy wailings of his violin, and knew that he was still pondering over the strange problem which he had set himself to unravel.
A Study in Scarlet, p. 54 · B2
You see I have a lot of special knowledge which I apply to the problem, and which facilitates matters wonderfully.
A Study in Scarlet, p. 20 · B2
“You’ll find him a knotty problem, though.
A Study in Scarlet, p. 10 · B2

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Words, meanings, pronunciations and translations from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); how common each word is from wordfreq. Made into this dictionary by FluentPlex.