Lewis & Short

diffĭcultas, ātis (gen. plur. difficultatium, Liv. 9, 31, 14; Gell. 14, 2, 3), f. [difficilis], difficulty, trouble, distress, poverty, want.

  1. I. In gen. (freq. in good prose in sing. and plur.
          1. (α) With gen.: ineundi consilii, Cic. Rep. 1, 34: discendi (with labor), id. Div. 1, 47, 105: dicendi, id. de Or. 1, 26, 120: navigandi, id. ib. 1, 18, 82; Caes. B. G. 3, 12 fin.: belli gerendi, id. ib. 3, 10: faciundi pontis, id. ib. 4, 17, 2 et saep.: viarum, id. ib. 7, 56, 2; id. B. C. 1, 70; cf. loci, Sall. J. 98, 5; Tac. Agr. 17 fin.: rerum, Cic. Div. in Caecil. 12; Sall. C. 57, 2; Suet. Tib. 16; 21: morbi, Cels. 3, 1; cf. urinae, id. 2, 1 al.: vecturae, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 82: summa navium, id. ib. 2, 5, 20: rei frumentariae, Caes. B. G. 7, 17, 3: annonae, Suet. Aug. 41; cf. nummaria, want. scarcity of money, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 28; Suet. Tib. 48: domestica, distressed circumstances, Cic. Cat. 1, 6, 14 et saep.
          2. (β) Absol.: ne qua ob eam suspicionem difficultas eveniat, Plaut. Epid. 2, 2, 105; Ter. Hec. 4, 4, 45: perspicio quantum in agendo difficultatis et quantum laboris sit habitura (altera pars actionis), Cic. Clu. 1, 2; so with labor, Quint. 11, 1, 68; and: habere difficultatem, Cic. Brut. 7; id. Att. 13, 33: magnam res ad receptum difficultatem afferebat, Caes. B. C. 3, 51, 6; so with ad: haec res Caesari difficultatem ad consilium capiendum afferebat, id. B. G. 7, 10, 1; and without it, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 11: delabi in difficultates, id. Fat. 17: erat in magnis difficultatibus res, ne, etc., Caes. B. G. 7, 35 et saep.
  2. * II. In partic. (acc. to difficilis, no. II.), obstinacy, captiousness, moroseness: arrogantiam pertulit, difficultatem exsorbuit, Cic. Mur. 9, 19.