erfiðleiki

Erfiðleiki is a noun in Icelandic that means difficulty, hardship, obstacle, or challenge. It refers to situations or conditions that make reaching a goal more demanding, including mental tasks, physical effort, or social and economic hardship. Erfiðleiki can denote a temporary problem in a given moment or a longer-lasting struggle in life, education, work, or health. The plural form erfiðleikar emphasizes multiple difficulties or ongoing problems, while erfiðleika (genitive) expresses the level or extent of hardship experienced.

In everyday use, erfiðleiki is a neutral term suitable for formal and informal contexts. It can describe both concrete obstacles (e.g., learning a skill, completing a project) and more abstract burdens (e.g., financial stress, discrimination). The word often carries a sense of resilience—the idea that difficulties can be faced, overcome, or managed, though it does not imply inevitability of success.

Etymology: The word erfiðleiki is formed from the base erfi- meaning "to trouble" or "burden" with the common noun suffix -leiki, and is cognate with related forms in other Nordic languages.