Meaning of problem in English

problem

noun [ C ]

/ˈprɑː.bləm/ uk

/ˈprɒb.ləm/

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a situation, person, or thing that needs attention and needs to be dealt with or solved:

financial/health problems

Our main problem is lack of cash.

have a problem with I'm having problems with my computer.

solve the problem of No one has solved the problem of what to do with radioactive waste.

pose a problem The very high rate of inflation poses (= is) a serious problem for the government.

present a problem Large demonstrations always present a problem for the police.

tackle a problem Who is going to tackle (= deal with) the problem of poverty in the inner cities?

[ + -ing verb ] Did you have any problems (= difficulties) getting here?

the only problem is I'd love to come - the only problem is I have friends staying that night.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

a problem

problemWhat's the problem here?
difficultyThe company is having some financial difficulties at the moment.
troubleWe've had a lot of trouble with the new computer system.
hitchThe ceremony went without a hitch.
glitchWe've had a few technical glitches, but I'm confident we'll be ready on time.
hurdleGetting a work permit is only the first hurdle.

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a question in mathematics that needs an answer:

We were given ten problems to solve.

problem child, family, etc.

a child, family, etc. that is considered to have problems with their behavior, mental or physical health, etc.:

She spoke like a schoolteacher talking to a problem child.

More examplesFewer examples

Traffic congestion in large cities seems to be an insoluble problem.
Her only problem is lack of confidence.
I've had continual problems with this car ever since I bought it.
Tiredness, loss of appetite and sleeping problems are all classic symptoms of depression.
Desperate measures are needed to deal with the growing drug problem.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Difficult things and people

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Difficult situations and unpleasant experiences

Calculations & calculating

Idioms

have a problem with something/someone
no problem
what is someone's problem?

(Definition of problem from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

problem | Intermediate English

problem

noun [ C ]

/ˈprɑb·ləm/

Add to word list Add to word list

something that causes difficulty or that is hard to deal with:

Financing the camp’s athletic program is a problem.

He has a serious health problem.

I’m having problems with my in-laws again.

mathematics

A problem is also a question to be answered or solved, esp. by reasoning or calculating:

math problems

(Definition of problem from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of problem

problem

The problem is that fusion is way more difficult to achieve.

From Voice of America

None of us can solve this problem by ourselves.

From Voice of America

That would be one of the problems with his rock and roll show.

From Billboard

The problem is we got 112 points the first year and that's where everybody thought we made the turn.

From The Denver Post

To solve this problem, our troops will need reinforcements.

From New York Daily News

There's just no chance that's going to be a problem.

From Slate Magazine

It's not a technical solution that's the problem, it's the social problem.

From USA TODAY

Some people will realize that they have a problem.

From NPR

All but six of the charges were thrown out because of problems with the search warrant.

From Slate Magazine

There's no way to tax our way out of this problem.

From ABC News

Only some of them have a drug problem and need treatment.

From Baltimore Sun

Although solving problems is nice, that's not why we do science.

From Wired

I do not think the problem can be summed up to texing per sa.

From CNN

This is just about waving a tar baby in the air and saying that something else is a problem.

From Politico

The problem is not going to get any easier.

From NPR

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

Collocations with problem

problem

These are words often used in combination with problem.

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

age-old problem

This book is a useful addition to the literature, particularly for its attempt to link molecular plant breeding to an age-old problem.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

alcohol-related problem

These items were summed to form an alcohol-related problem variable.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

attendant problems

However, while this approach is important, not least because it takes seriously the complexity associated with lexical structure, there are a number of attendant problems.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

See all collocations with problem

What is the pronunciation of problem?