adding to their difficulties

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "adding to their difficulties" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing factors or situations that exacerbate someone's challenges or problems. Example: "The unexpected storm hit the region, adding to their difficulties in recovery efforts."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Academia

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

In releasing their results the club also point to a "lack of player trading" adding to their difficulties, although fees were garnered for Anthony Stokes, Sol Bamba and Merouane Zemmama.

BBC

ADDING to their difficulties, background radiation outside the earth's atmosphere quickly causes film to fog.

The New York Times

Adding to their difficulties is the cost of doing business in Australia.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

The need for high aerodynamics performance also adds to the difficulty of the design process.

Aerospace Science and Technology

As the levels increase, new "affixes" are added, complicating the dungeons and adding to their difficulty.

Forbes

On the negative side there are a number of factors that add to their difficulties.

Britannica

And for some elderly gay people, lingering invisibility adds to their difficulties.

The New York Times

To add to their difficulties the Big Four are now aggressively re-entering the field of advisory services, necessitating a new burst of hiring.

The Economist

Yet, despite its desire for foreign investment, Russia's government has yet to push through the Duma sufficient legal protection for these contracts.When oil meets politicsTo add to their difficulties, western firms have found themselves increasingly entangled in arguments between the government and the Russian industry.

The Economist

Adds Elisa Balabram, who heads a government-funded Business Center in Brooklyn, "other countries have more informal rules for doing business, so immigrants have to learn about requirements; their language problems can add to their difficulties understanding financial rules and regulations".

Huffington Post

To add to their difficulties, in most unions they were obliged to pay out of their own pockets for any drugs, dressings or other medical supplies needed to treat their patients.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "adding to their difficulties", ensure the context clearly establishes the existing challenges or problems the subjects are already facing. This provides a foundation for understanding the impact of the additional factor.

Common error

Avoid using "adding to their difficulties" when the initial difficulties haven't been clearly defined or are vague. Provide specific context before introducing the compounding factor.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "adding to their difficulties" functions as a causal connector, indicating that something is exacerbating or worsening an existing challenging situation. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

33%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "adding to their difficulties" is a grammatically sound and usable expression that effectively conveys the idea of compounding existing problems. While it appears with moderate frequency across various domains, Ludwig's analysis reveals its prominence in News & Media, Science, and Formal & Business contexts. Alternative phrases like "exacerbating their problems" and "compounding their challenges" offer nuanced ways to express similar ideas. When employing this phrase, ensure that the initial difficulties are well-established to provide clear context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

exacerbating their problems

Replaces "adding to" with "exacerbating", emphasizing the worsening of existing problems.

compounding their challenges

Uses "compounding" to highlight the cumulative effect on their difficulties.

worsening their situation

Focuses on the deteriorating state of their circumstances.

heightening their struggles

Emphasizes the increase in intensity of their struggles.

intensifying their hardships

Highlights the increasing severity of their hardships.

aggravating their troubles

Focuses on making their troubles more severe or serious.

further complicating matters for them

Indicates that the situation is becoming more intricate and difficult.

piling on their existing issues

Suggests an accumulation of problems on top of what they already face.

making their situation even harder

A more direct way of saying that things are becoming more difficult.

placing additional burdens on them

Emphasizes the imposition of extra weight or strain.

FAQs

How can I use "adding to their difficulties" in a sentence?

You can use "adding to their difficulties" to describe a situation where something makes an existing problem even worse. For example, "The lack of funding is "adding to their difficulties" in providing adequate healthcare."

What are some alternatives to "adding to their difficulties"?

Alternatives include "exacerbating their problems", "compounding their challenges", or "worsening their situation", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it grammatically correct to say "adding to their difficulties"?

Yes, "adding to their difficulties" is grammatically correct. It's a common phrase used to indicate that something is making a situation more difficult.

What's the difference between "adding to their difficulties" and "contributing to their difficulties"?

"Adding to their difficulties" implies making existing problems worse, while "contributing to their difficulties" simply means playing a part in causing the difficulties. "Adding to" suggests a compounding effect, while "contributing to" is a broader term.