{ "term": "problem", "partOfSpeech": "noun", "ox3000": true, "cefr": "a1", "definitions": [ { "senseNumber": 1, "definition": "a thing that is difficult to deal with or to understand", "sensetop": "problem with somethingproblem of somethingproblem of doing somethingproblem for somebody", "labels": "(especially North American English)", "cefr": "a1", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "**big/serious/major problems**" }, { "text": "She has a lot of **health problems**." }, { "text": "**financial/social/technical problems**" }, { "text": "Let me know if you **have any problems**." }, { "text": "The government must **address the problem** of child poverty." }, { "text": "We cannot **tackle this problem** effectively on our own." }, { "text": "We are **dealing with** a serious **problem** here." }, { "text": "Money isn't going to **solve the problem**." }, { "text": "to **fix a problem**" }, { "text": "If he chooses Mary it's bound to **cause problems**." }, { "text": "to **pose/create a problem**" }, { "text": "The **problem** first **arose** in 2018." }, { "text": "There is a problem with this argument.", "contextForm": "problem with something" }, { "text": "the problem of youth homelessness", "contextForm": "problem of something" }, { "text": "Most students **face the problem** of funding themselves while they are studying.", "contextForm": "problem of doing something" }, { "text": "Unemployment is a very **real problem** for graduates now.", "contextForm": "problem for somebody" }, { "text": "It’s a nice table! **The only problem is (that)** it’s too big for our room." }, { "text": "**Part of the problem** is the shape of the room." }, { "text": "Stop worrying about their marriage—it isn't your problem." }, { "text": "There's no history of heart problems *(= disease connected with the heart)* in our family." }, { "text": "the magazine’s **problem page** *(= containing letters about readers’ problems and advice about how to solve them)*" }, { "text": "All the anti-depressant does is mask the problem." }, { "text": "Depression is a natural feeling if your problems seem intractable." }, { "text": "For years I've tried to overlook this problem." }, { "text": "Fortunately, it's easy to avoid any potential problems." }, { "text": "Framing the problem is an important step." }, { "text": "She believes she may have found a solution to the problem." }, { "text": "Stress can cause a person to develop serious health problems." }, { "text": "She doesn't really see the problem." }, { "text": "He doesn't seem to understand my problem." }, { "text": "She had to undergo surgery to cure the problem with her knee." }, { "text": "He has been faced with all manner of problems in his new job." }, { "text": "Her new job had taken her mind off her family problems for a while." }, { "text": "I didn't imagine there would be a problem about getting tickets." }, { "text": "I don't anticipate any future problems in that regard." }, { "text": "I forgot my problems for a moment." }, { "text": "I'm glad you finally admitted your problem." }, { "text": "If the problem persists you should see a doctor." }, { "text": "Inadequate resources pose a problem for all members of staff." }, { "text": "Most people can see the ethical problem with accepting such an offer." }, { "text": "No one ever asked why or how the problem originated." }, { "text": "Our greatest problem is the lack of funds." }, { "text": "She raised the problem of falling sales at the last meeting." }, { "text": "Success brings its own problems." }, { "text": "Systemic security problems have been identified." }, { "text": "The accident poses a terrible problem for the family." }, { "text": "The basic problem remains the lack of available housing." }, { "text": "The plan has been fraught with problems from the start." }, { "text": "The problem lies in the lack of communication between managers and staff." }, { "text": "Therein lies the problem." }, { "text": "The rail strike is a problem for all commuters." }, { "text": "The role of the sun in climate change is still a big unsolved problem." }, { "text": "Cybersecurity is a global problem." }, { "text": "These symptoms may indicate a serious problem." }, { "text": "They created a task force to study this problem." }, { "text": "They sold their car to ease their financial problems." }, { "text": "This illustrates another potential problem." }, { "text": "This underscores the biggest problem with electronic voting." }, { "text": "We need to get to the root of the problem before we can solve it." }, { "text": "We're faced with a whole host of new problems." }, { "text": "This is one of the great problems of cosmology: where did the overall structure of the universe come from?" } ], "topics": ["Difficulty and failure", "Social issues"], "collocations": { "adjective": ["acute", "big", "enormous"], "… of problems": ["host", "set"], "verb + problem": ["be", "pose", "present (somebody with)"], "problem + verb": ["arise", "come up", "crop up"], "problem + noun": ["area", "spot", "behaviour/​behavior"], "preposition": ["problem about", "problem for", "problem of"], "phrases": [ "an approach to a problem", "the crux of the problem", "the heart of the problem" ] } }, { "senseNumber": 2, "definition": "a question that can be answered by using logical thought or mathematics", "cefr": "b2", "examples": [ { "text": "mathematical problems" }, { "text": "to find the answer to the problem" }, { "text": "The teacher set us 50 problems to do." }, { "text": "I have five problems to do for homework." } ], "topics": ["Maths and measurement"], "collocations": { "adjective": ["complicated", "difficult", "easy"], "verb + problem": ["do", "find the answer to", "solve"], "problem + noun": ["set"] } }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to disagree with or object to something/somebody", "labels": "(informal)", "examples": [ { "text": "I have no problem with you working at home tomorrow." }, { "text": "We are going to do this my way. **Do you have a problem with that?** *(= showing that you are impatient with the person that you are speaking to)*" }, { "text": "Do you have a problem with her?" } ], "topics": ["Opinion and argument"] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "used to show that you do not care about somebody else’s difficulties", "labels": "(informal)", "examples": [ { "text": "If they can't afford to go, that's not my problem." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 1, "definition": "used to show that you are happy to help somebody or that something will be easy to do", "cefr": "a1", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "‘Can I pay by credit card?’ ‘Yes, no problem.’" } ] }, { "senseNumber": 2, "definition": "used after somebody has thanked you or said they are sorry for something", "cefr": "a1", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "‘Thanks for the ride.’ ‘No problem.’" } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "used to show that you think a person should deal with their own difficulties", "labels": "(informal)", "examples": [ { "text": "‘My parents will be furious!’ ‘That’s your problem.’" } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "used to show that you think somebody is being unreasonable", "labels": "(informal)", "examples": [ { "text": "What's your problem?—I only asked if you could help me for ten minutes." } ] } ], "pronunciations": { "uk": [ { "pronunciation": "/ˈprɒbləm/", "audio": "pr/problem/problem__gb_2.mp3" } ], "us": [ { "pronunciation": "/ˈprɑːbləm/", "audio": "pr/problem/problem__us_1.mp3" } ] }, "wordOrigin": "late Middle English (originally denoting a riddle or a question for academic discussion): from Old French probleme, via Latin from Greek problēma, from proballein ‘put forth’, from pro ‘before’ + ballein ‘to throw’." }