problem

Noun
  1. A state of difficulty that needs to be resolved (synset 114434009)
    "she and her husband are having problems"; "it is always a job to contact him"; "urban problems such as traffic congestion and smog"
    is a type of: difficulty - a condition or state of affairs almost beyond one's ability to deal with and requiring great effort to bear or overcome
    subtypes:
    • race problem - a social and political problem caused by conflict between races occupying the same or adjacent regions
    • balance-of-payments problem - an economic problem caused by payments for imports being greater than receipts for exports
    same as: job
  2. A question raised for consideration or solution (synset 106796860)
    "our homework consisted of ten problems to solve"
    is a type of: head, question - the subject matter at issue
    subtypes:
    • mystifier, puzzle, puzzler, teaser - a particularly baffling problem that is said to have a correct solution
    • case - a problem requiring investigation
    • homework problem - a problem that students are assigned to do outside of class
    • brain-teaser, conundrum, enigma, riddle - a difficult problem
    • poser, sticker, stumper, toughie - a particularly difficult or baffling question or problem
    • gordian knot - any very difficult problem; insoluble in its own terms
    • koan - a paradoxical anecdote or a riddle that has no solution; used in Zen Buddhism to show the inadequacy of logical reasoning
    • pons asinorum - a problem that severely tests the ability of an inexperienced person
    • rebus - a puzzle where you decode a message consisting of pictures representing syllables and words
  3. A source of difficulty (synset 105695143)
    "one trouble after another delayed the job"; "what's the problem?"
    is a type of: difficulty - a factor causing trouble in achieving a positive result or tending to produce a negative result
    subtypes:
    • pressure point - where problems or difficulties are likely to occur
    • can of worms - a source of unpredictable trouble and complexity
    • deep water - serious trouble
    • growing pains - problems that arise in enlarging an enterprise (especially in the early stages)
    • hydra - trouble that cannot be overcome by a single effort because of its many aspects or its persistent and pervasive quality
    • matter - a problem
    same as: trouble

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