✅ Although both gift and bonus are given voluntarily, bonus is more limited, meaning something given in addition to what is due (The gift shop gave customers a box of chocolates as a bonus with purchases).

✅ Primarily, bonus refers to money, either given to employees in recognition of hard work (an annual bonus) or given to entice someone to become an employee (a signing bonus).

✅ While a bonus is most often given to an individual, a gift can be given to a single person, a group, or an institution (The charity received several large gifts this season).

Here's a gift—more synonyms for bonus!

✅ Both difficult and hard describe something that is not easily done (a difficult task; a hard climb) or understood (a difficult equation).

✅ Difficult is the perfect word when something is hard in a more intricate way, and perhaps requires special effort or skill (Tax law is difficult to explain; They made a difficult decision).

✅ While hard is the more general term, difficult contributes a more elevated tone to your writing.

Writing something difficult is easier with Grammar Coach!

✅ Both taking pains and taking the trouble imply a watchfulness to do things right (take the trouble to write a letter; take pains to learn long division).

✅  To take pains suggests careful effort to pay attention to every small detail (They took pains to avoid saying the wrong thing).

✅  Use take the trouble when more activity and exertion are involved and sometimes more inconvenience (By holding one-on-one meetings, she actually took the trouble to get to know her employees).

Having trouble? Here are more synonyms!