a severe difficulty

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a severe difficulty" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a significant or serious challenge or problem someone is facing. Example: "The team encountered a severe difficulty in meeting the project deadline due to unforeseen circumstances."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

The only possible naturalistic answer that they evolved over millions of years from more-primitive forms leads immediately to a severe difficulty: how is it possible to define the species to which a given animal belongs in such a way that it does not include every evolutionary ancestor the animal had but at the same time is not arbitrary?

Encyclopedia Britannica

The first strategy faces a severe difficulty: namely, it at least seems to be the case that certain non-consequentialist moral theories — in particular, deontological theories — also incorporate impartial elements in a fundamental manner, and yet make demands on the moral agent which are considerably less extreme than those of consequentialism.

SEP

The Washington Group defined disability as having at least a severe difficulty or being unable to perform on any key ADL: sight, hearing, walking or climbing, and remembering or concentrating (8, 9).

Global Health Action

There will be considerable differences between patients in terms of what each regards as a severe difficulty depending upon the individuals' personal situation; for example, not being able to get out of the house for one person may be a great restriction, whereas for someone else may be of little consequence.

British Journal of Cancer

(For example, people with temporal lobe epilepsy may find that certain sounds trigger seizures, and some people have neurosensory issues that cause extraneous noise to be a severe difficulty rather than a mild annoyance).

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

However, the present findings could be hardly explained by a deficit in ToM since, if this was the case, one would expect to find a more severe difficulty with tasks in which self-other attribution is explicitly required, as on the Source Memory task.

Plosone

She initially experienced a period of severe difficulty with the disease, and later said: "I was very sick in 1998 when I was diagnosed.

Wikipedia

However as an interpretation of Thomas this approach will suffer several severe difficulties.

SEP

Dr. Osterhaus reported that his team inoculated four macaque monkeys with the coronavirus isolated from SARS patients and then noted the appearance of the signs and symptoms of human SARS, like lethargy, a skin rash and severe difficulty breathing.

The New York Times

In such a circumstance severe difficulties arise because, at the very beginning of the design process, project teams own limited and unreliable information about the performances viable to positively impact value for customers and consequently the commercial success.

Computers in Industry

Summation of these scores ('0' no difficulty-'3' severe difficulty) yields a global score (range 0-21) that indicates a participants' participantive sleep quality (score of >5 points indicative of sleep disturbance).

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a severe difficulty", ensure that the context clearly indicates the nature and scope of the difficulty. Provide specific details to illustrate the impact or consequences of the difficulty.

Common error

Avoid using "a severe difficulty" to describe minor inconveniences or easily resolved problems. Ensure the situation genuinely warrants the description of being severe.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a severe difficulty" functions as a noun phrase, acting as the subject or object in a sentence. It is used to identify and describe a significant problem or challenge. Ludwig AI confirms its correct and usable nature in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

30%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a severe difficulty" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase to describe a substantial problem or challenge. As Ludwig AI states, it's correct and usable in written English. Its usage spans across scientific, news, encyclopedic, and general contexts, indicating its versatility. While alternatives like "a serious problem" or "a major challenge" exist, "a severe difficulty" effectively conveys the gravity of a situation. When employing this phrase, ensure that the context genuinely warrants the description of being 'severe' to avoid overstatement.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a serious problem

Replaces "difficulty" with "problem", emphasizing the problematic nature of the situation.

a major challenge

Substitutes "difficulty" with "challenge", highlighting the demanding aspect of the situation.

a significant obstacle

Emphasizes the obstructive nature of the difficulty.

a tough predicament

Replaces "difficulty" with "predicament", suggesting a difficult or unpleasant situation.

a grave issue

Focuses on the seriousness and importance of the problem.

a critical setback

Highlights the negative impact of the difficulty on progress.

a considerable hurdle

Emphasizes the effort required to overcome the difficulty.

a formidable challenge

Focuses on the intimidating nature of the difficulty.

a taxing ordeal

Highlights the stressful and exhausting nature of the difficulty.

a demanding situation

Emphasizes the level of effort and resources needed to address the difficulty.

FAQs

How can I use "a severe difficulty" in a sentence?

Use "a severe difficulty" to describe a significant problem or challenge. For example: "The project encountered "a severe difficulty" due to unforeseen circumstances."

What are some alternatives to saying "a severe difficulty"?

You can use alternatives such as "a serious problem", "a major challenge", or "a significant obstacle" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "a severe difficulty" or "a difficult situation"?

"A severe difficulty" implies a more serious and impactful challenge than "a difficult situation", which can refer to a broader range of challenging circumstances. Choose the phrase that accurately reflects the gravity of the situation.

What makes "a severe difficulty" different from "a slight difficulty"?

"A severe difficulty" denotes a substantial and impactful problem, while "a slight difficulty" refers to a minor or easily manageable issue. The key difference lies in the magnitude and potential consequences of the difficulty.