Hardest Programming Languages To Learn in 2025

The Hardest
Programming Languages
to Learn This Year
N OT A L L P R O G R A M M I N G L A N G U A G E S A R E E A S Y T O
L E A R N . O V E R T H E Y E A R S , C O D I N G H A S E V O L V E D
F R O M D E C I P H E R I N G B I N A R Y PAT T E R N S T O U S I N G
H U M A N - R E A D A B L E L A N G U A G E S L I K E C , P Y T H O N ,
A N D J AVA S C R I P T. N O W, I N 2 0 2 5 , W H I L E M A N Y
L A N G U A G E S A R E B E C O M I N G M O R E E F F I C I E N T A N D
S T R U C T U R E D. L E T ’ S E X P L O R E T H E H A R D E S T
P R O G R A M M I N G L A N G U A G E S T O L E A R N T H I S Y E A R !

Hardest Coding Languages to Learn This Year
Here is the list of hardest programming languages:
•Malbolge
•Assembly Language
•Prolog
•C++
•Haskell
•Rust
•LISP
•Scala
• Perl
• Erlang
• Objective C
• F#
• Ada
• COBOL
• Scheme

Malbolge
Named after the eighth circle of Hell in Dante’s Inferno,
Malbolge is infamous for its extreme complexity. Designed to
be nearly impossible to program in, it features self-altering code
and an incomprehensible notation system. Even expert
programmers struggle with it, making Malbolge the ultimate
challenge for those who love the impossible.
While it holds the title of the hardest programming language,
Malbolge is neither practical nor widely used. However, it stands
as a fascinating example of how far programming has evolved.

Assembly Language
Assembly Language is one of the few true low-level programming
languages, allowing direct control over hardware resources. However, this
comes with a steep learning curve, as programmers must manually manage
memory addresses and processor instructions while working with
hardware-specific instruction sets.
With little room for error, Assembly demands precision, patience, and
meticulous resource management. While not as impossibly difficult as
Malbolge, it remains one of the toughest languages to learn. Despite its
impracticality for modern development, mastering Assembly provides deep
insight into how higher-level languages operate, enhancing a programmer’s
overall understanding of computer systems.

Prolog
Prolog is one of the hardest programming languages to learn due to
its logic-driven approach. Unlike traditional languages, it doesn’t
follow a step-by-step execution but instead relies on defining rules
and relationships. The system then infers conclusions, making it
challenging for those accustomed to imperative programming.
It also replaces loops with recursion and includes an automatic
backtracking mechanism to find solutions. Due to its unique nature,
Prolog is primarily used in artificial intelligence and natural language
processing. While powerful, its unconventional structure makes it
difficult to master.

C++
C++ is a complex yet widely used programming language that blends
object-oriented and generic programming. It requires a strong grasp
of memory management, pointers, and debugging, making it
significantly harder to learn. Its syntax is intricate, and working with
legacy code often introduces unexpected challenges.
Even experienced developers find C++ tricky due to its strict rules and
potential for subtle bugs. However, its efficiency and control make it
indispensable in system programming, game development, and high-
performance applications. Despite its steep learning curve, C++
remains one of the most important programming languages.

Haskell
Haskell is a purely functional programming language that follows a
mathematical approach, making it difficult for those used to
imperative coding. It involves advanced concepts like monads, type
inference, and recursion, requiring a deep understanding of abstract
programming principles.
Debugging in Haskell can be particularly challenging due to its
unique structure. However, once mastered, it offers powerful
functional programming capabilities and is widely used in academic
research and high-assurance systems. While difficult to learn, it
rewards developers with efficient and elegant code.

Rust
Rust may seem beginner-friendly due to its C-like syntax, but its
memory safety features make it one of the hardest languages to
master. Unlike traditional languages, it eliminates the need for a
garbage collector by introducing an ownership and borrowing
system, requiring programmers to rethink memory management.
While these features prevent common bugs, they also add complexity
for learners. Rust’s focus on safety and concurrency makes it a
powerful tool for systems programming and game development, but
its strict rules and steep learning curve make it one of the toughest
languages to learn.

LISP
LISP, one of the oldest programming languages, introduced
key concepts like recursion and treating code as data. Despite
its simple syntax, its unique parenthetical structure and
fragmented nature make it difficult to grasp.
Designed for seamless data manipulation, LISP remains
relevant in AI and higher-level systems. However, getting used
to its syntax and understanding its domain-specific solutions
require patience, making it one of the hardest programming
languages to learn.

Scala
Scala combines functional and object-oriented programming,
offering powerful abstractions and concise code. However, its
advanced type inference and reliance on concurrency make it
challenging for beginners, especially those familiar with Java’s
structured approach.
Running on the JVM provides portability, but it also introduces
performance challenges. While Scala is widely used in big data
processing and distributed computing, its steep learning curve
and complex concepts make it a tough language to master.

Perl
Perl is a highly flexible scripting language known for its
versatility in text processing and system administration.
However, its syntax is complex and often unreadable, making
it difficult for beginners to learn.
Its ‘more than one way to do it’ philosophy allows multiple
approaches to the same problem, adding to its depth but also
making it harder to master. While Perl remains valuable in
legacy enterprise applications, its learning curve makes it a
challenging language for new programmers.

Erlang
Erlang was developed in 1986 for building scalable, real-time
systems requiring high availability. It uses an actor-based model
for fault-tolerant, distributed applications and powers services
like WhatsApp.
Despite its strengths, Erlang is one of the hardest programming
languages due to limited learning resources, complex syntax,
and a lack of modern development tools. It doesn’t run on the
JVM, lacks a package manager, and has minimal community
support, making it challenging for newcomers to grasp.

Objective-C
Objective-C remains essential for maintaining older macOS and
iOS applications, despite its complexity. Its syntax is extensive
and heavily reliant on pointers, making debugging difficult for
beginners unfamiliar with low-level memory management.
Dynamic runtime behavior introduces additional challenges, as
runtime errors can be hard to trace. While Objective-C is still
relevant in Apple’s ecosystem, its steep learning curve and
memory management complexities make it one of the
toughest programming languages to master.

F#
F# is a functional-first programming language designed for data
analytics, AI, and scientific computing. Unlike imperative languages
like C#, F# relies on pattern matching, immutability, and
computation expressions, requiring a shift in programming mindset.
While it enables concise, high-performance code, its abstract
mathematical concepts, such as algebraic data types and function
pipelines, make it difficult to learn. Despite its powerful capabilities,
mastering F# takes time, making it one of the hardest programming
languages.

Ada
Ada was designed for high-reliability applications in
aerospace, defense, and medical systems. It features built-
in safety mechanisms like range checking and contract-
based programming, making it robust but difficult to learn.
Its rigid syntax and complex concurrency control make even
simple tasks verbose and challenging. With limited adoption
and scarce learning resources, Ada presents a steep
learning curve, even for experienced programmers.

Cobol
COBOL was developed for business and financial applications,
focusing on data processing rather than general-purpose
programming. Its rigid structure, extensive data formatting
requirements, and verbosity make it difficult for those used to
modern languages.
Despite its challenges, COBOL remains vital in banking and
government sectors, ensuring the maintenance of legacy
financial systems. However, its outdated nature and slow
learning process make it one of the hardest languages to grasp.

Scheme
Scheme, a LISP dialect, is difficult for programmers
accustomed to imperative languages. It emphasizes
recursion, higher-order functions, and immutability,
concepts that require a different programming approach.
Its minimalist syntax lacks extensive built-in functions,
forcing programmers to build functionality from scratch.
Additionally, mathematical concepts like lambda calculus
make it abstract and challenging for beginners to master.

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Hardest Programming Languages To Learn in 2025

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