a tricky life

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a tricky life" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a life that is full of challenges, difficulties, or complexities. Example: "Living in a big city can be exciting, but it also comes with a tricky life filled with unexpected challenges."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

And, knowing it, all we ask is for timely and reasonable NHS support that doesn't make a tricky life even harder.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

As one client aptly put it, "Each time I meet with you every two weeks, I leave your office feeling like you pressed my reset button!" Therapy is really about whatever a client needs -- a one-time conversation, a temporary source of support during a tricky life transition, or an ongoing experience to optimized health--physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

In "Frances and Bernard" Ms. Bauer attempts to walk a tricky line, giving her characters enough life of their own to seem more than historical glosses, while borrowing from Lowell and O'Connor's stature so that Bernard and Frances become sufficiently formidable literary figures to carry the show.

The New York Times - Books

He's also a man with a tricky personal life.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

A: Tricky.

The New York Times - Sports

Not out of pity, but seeing how tricky life is and how hard it is to make the right choices".

Wikipedia

Adolescence, as we all know, is a tricky stage in life – youngsters are working hard at school, they're having first relationships and they're often very concerned about fitting in".

The Guardian

Mr. Tetrault believes the waters in the Peconic Estuary are healthy enough to support scallops again, and that it is just a matter of having the right conditions for two or three years to allow the scallops, which have a tricky two-year life cycle, to get a beachhead in the bays.

The New York Times

When the season began, these characters had few lines, which suggested a tricky hierarchy: the real-life Seal Boy was an extra in scenes starring Evan Peters's prosthetically created Human Lobster.

The New Yorker

Her son (Rafi Gavron) is a teenage tearaway involved in robberies, who brings Will, a dashing architect played by Jude Law, into her life and a tricky romance blossoms.

Independent

This begs the question of what will happen to the Sonic Complete at the end of its working life, often a tricky issue for plastic products, especially electrical ones like this.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a tricky life" to describe a situation where someone's existence is made difficult by numerous small problems rather than one large issue.

Common error

Avoid using "a tricky life" to describe a single traumatic event. This phrase is best suited for depicting a sustained period of complex or challenging circumstances.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a tricky life" functions as a noun phrase, where "tricky" is an adjective modifying the noun "life". It describes the quality or nature of someone's existence. Ludwig AI provides several examples where the phrase is used to depict challenging or difficult circumstances.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Wiki

17%

Science

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a tricky life" is a grammatically correct and usable expression that describes a life filled with challenges and difficulties. According to Ludwig AI, this phrase is most commonly found in news and media contexts. While not extremely frequent, it's a suitable way to depict a series of complex problems that make someone's existence difficult. When using the phrase, it's best to avoid applying it to single events, and instead focus on depicting an extended period of hardship. Consider alternatives like "a challenging life" or "a complicated life" for similar meanings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a challenging existence

Replaces "tricky" with "challenging" and "life" with "existence", maintaining the core meaning but with a slightly more formal tone.

a difficult path

Uses a metaphorical "path" to represent life, emphasizing the hardships involved.

a complex journey

Employs "complex" instead of "tricky" and "journey" instead of "life", highlighting the intricate and involved nature of one's experiences.

a complicated situation

Shifts the focus from the overall life to a specific "situation", implying that life is made up of complicated events.

a life full of obstacles

Explicitly mentions "obstacles", emphasizing the barriers and hindrances encountered in life.

a taxing time

Refers to a specific "time" period that is demanding or stressful.

a trying experience

Highlights the "experience" aspect, emphasizing the difficulty and strain involved.

a precarious existence

Focuses on the instability and uncertainty of life.

a thorny road

Uses the metaphor of a "thorny road" to convey the presence of difficulties and pain.

a troubled world

Shifts the perspective to the external "world" and its problematic nature, implying that life is difficult due to external factors.

FAQs

How can I use "a tricky life" in a sentence?

You can use "a tricky life" to describe someone's existence that is full of challenges and complexities. For example: "Despite facing "a tricky life", she remained optimistic".

What is a good alternative to "a tricky life"?

Alternatives include "a challenging life", "a difficult life", or "a complicated life", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "a tricky life" a formal or informal expression?

"A tricky life" is generally considered to be a neutral expression. While not overly formal, it's suitable for most contexts, including news reports and personal essays.

Can "a tricky life" be applied to non-human entities?

While primarily used to describe human experiences, "a tricky life" can be metaphorically applied to animals or even inanimate objects, provided they face persistent and complex challenges. For example, "The stray cat led "a tricky life" on the streets".