Also means
to make difficult
Usage Note
Dificultar means to make something harder or to obstruct a process. It takes a direct object: la lluvia dificultó la visibilidad (the rain reduced visibility). It is more formal than complicar and more specific than impedir (to prevent entirely). The related noun is dificultad.
Examples
"Las obras dificultaron el tráfico durante semanas."
Natural Translation
The roadworks hindered traffic for weeks.

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