an increasing difficulty

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "an increasing difficulty" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation or task that becomes progressively harder over time or as it continues. Example: "As the project progressed, we faced an increasing difficulty in meeting the deadlines due to unforeseen challenges."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

The report also identified an increasing difficulty getting patients undergoing a crisis into hospital because of an acute shortage of beds.

The Guardian

Even more problematic, and likely to be an increasing difficulty with regardt to American requests for extradition, is the extraordinarily punitive American criminal justice system.

The Guardian - Opinion

The syllable deletion task consisted of three blocks of trials in an increasing difficulty order: real words, nonwords and nonsense words.

Plosone

Regarding income and education, there was a clear pattern of an increasing difficulty level with less education or lower income across all items.

BMC Public Health

However, for an increasing number of components, there will be an increasing difficulty to find and encompass several separate transcription units.

FEMS Microbiology Reviews

In everyday clinical practice, there has also been an increasing difficulty in estimating and counselling patients about the potential adverse effects of radiation therapy and in particular their long-term risk of RIHD.

British Journal of Cancer

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

Based around an ingenious system of chain reactions, where outbreaks spread rapidly and unpredictably across a web of interconnected cities, it packs a steadily increasing difficulty curve and an air of tension that ramps up in intensity with each successive turn.

The Guardian - Tech

Rendered in the same graphic style as Hearts, it is a game separate from the main story with an exponentially increasing difficulty level.

Wikipedia

At first there is a gradually increasing difficulty, or clumsiness, in making the movements required for the work at hand.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The associated well-known problems (corrosion, product purification, and disposal of spent catalyst) lead to high operating costs and a continuously increasing difficulty to comply with environmental regulations.

Chemical Engineering Research and Design

The words are arranged in an order of increasing difficulty.

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "an increasing difficulty", ensure the context clearly indicates what is becoming more difficult and why. Provide specific details to enhance clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "an increasing difficulty" without specifying the area or task affected. Being vague diminishes the phrase's impact and leaves the reader unclear about the actual problem.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an increasing difficulty" functions as a noun phrase, where "increasing" acts as a participle modifying the noun "difficulty". Ludwig's examples show its use in describing situations that are progressively becoming more challenging.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

30%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "an increasing difficulty" is a grammatically correct and frequently used expression to describe situations that are becoming progressively more challenging. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and common usage across diverse contexts, including scientific publications, news articles, and encyclopedias. While alternatives like "a growing challenge" or "an escalating problem" exist, "an increasing difficulty" provides a clear and professional way to convey the sense of a growing challenge. When using the phrase, it is important to provide specific details to enhance clarity and impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a growing challenge

Replaces "difficulty" with "challenge" and "increasing" with "growing", changing the noun and adjective while retaining the core meaning.

an escalating problem

Substitutes "difficulty" with "problem" and "increasing" with "escalating", altering the specific term for the issue while maintaining the sense of growth.

a rising concern

Replaces "difficulty" with "concern" and "increasing" with "rising", shifting the focus to apprehension about a situation.

a mounting struggle

Substitutes "difficulty" with "struggle" and "increasing" with "mounting", emphasizing the effort required to overcome the issue.

a worsening situation

Replaces the entire phrase with a description of a deteriorating state, indicating a more severe or negative condition.

growing obstacles

This alternative replaces the original phrase and uses different terminology, focusing on the impediments.

heightened complexity

This term replaces the idea of a difficulty with the aspect of complexity, increasing the nuance.

intensifying adversity

Adversity is used as an alternative to describe a form of misfortune in a situation.

amplified challenge

An alternative which uses "challenge" as an alternative with the word "amplified".

aggravated impediment

Impediment is used as an alternative word of a problem with more intensity.

FAQs

How can I use "an increasing difficulty" in a sentence?

You can use "an increasing difficulty" to describe a situation or task that is becoming progressively harder. For example, "We are facing "an increasing difficulty" in acquiring the necessary resources."

What are some alternatives to "an increasing difficulty"?

Alternatives include "a growing challenge", "an escalating problem", or "a rising concern", depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

Is it better to say "increasing difficulty" or "growing difficulty"?

Both "increasing difficulty" and "growing difficulty" are acceptable. "Increasing" emphasizes the process of becoming more difficult, while "growing" highlights the expansion of the difficulty. Choose the word that best fits the context.

What's the difference between "an increasing difficulty" and "a major obstacle"?

"An increasing difficulty" suggests a gradual rise in the level of challenge, while "a major obstacle" indicates a significant impediment that hinders progress. The former is a process, the latter is a static barrier.