arduous skills

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "arduous skills" is not commonly used in written English and may sound awkward.
It could be used to describe skills that require a lot of effort and hard work to acquire or master. Example: "Developing arduous skills in a challenging field can lead to significant personal and professional growth."

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Yet mastering these arduous skills is at the very essence of achievement.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Imparting skills will remain arduous, so long as South Africa's schools and universities turn out hordes of semi-literate arts graduates and hardly any black engineers or accountants.Redistributive "black empowerment" has made a few black South Africans honkingly rich overnight.

The Economist

Texting, previously effortless, became arduous, requiring more concentration and balancing skills than I care to admit.

TechCrunch

Mastery was once an arduous process because the necessary information to attain skills was not something that was shared.

The New York Times

"The universe makes it an extremely long, tedious and arduous process to attain the requisite level of skill as a way of weeding out those who are unfit or unstable.

Vice

And you could admire the craft with which Ms. Waltz knitted together these slow, arduous skeins of choreography, as well as the concentrated skill with which her 16 performers carried them out.

The New York Times - Arts

This skill set is not taught formally, but it is imparted through arduous experiences.

The New York Times

The arduous job is to figure out which mutations are important, a task that requires skill, experience and instincts.

The New York Times - Health

Although some players took steroids to enhance their skills, many older players no doubt took them to continue to perform over long, arduous seasons.

The New York Times

— far more arduous.

The New York Times

The conditions were arduous.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing skills that require significant dedication and effort, consider using "challenging skills" or "demanding skills" as more common and natural-sounding alternatives to "arduous skills".

Common error

While "arduous" accurately conveys difficulty, its infrequent pairing with "skills" can make your writing sound stilted. Opt for more conventional alternatives like "difficult" or "challenging" to maintain clarity and flow.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "arduous skills" functions as an adjective-noun combination, where the adjective "arduous" modifies the noun "skills". It describes the nature of the skills, indicating that they require significant effort and dedication. Ludwig shows that while grammatically correct, it's not a very common phrase.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "arduous skills" describes skills that are difficult and require considerable effort. While grammatically sound, Ludwig AI suggests that it is not a frequently used phrase. Common alternatives include "difficult skills" and "challenging skills", which may be preferred for clarity and naturalness. Predominantly found in News & Media contexts, the phrase serves to emphasize the demanding nature of mastering particular abilities.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

difficult skills

Replaces "arduous" with "difficult", focusing on the challenge rather than the labor involved.

challenging skills

Emphasizes the stimulating and demanding nature of the skills.

demanding skills

Highlights the high requirements and expectations associated with the skills.

laborious skills

Focuses on the effort and hard work required to develop the skills.

strenuous skills

Implies skills that require great exertion and energy.

complex skills

Highlights the intricate and multifaceted nature of the skills.

hard-won skills

Emphasizes that the skills were achieved after considerable effort and struggle.

intensive skills

Focuses on the concentrated effort and dedication required.

painstaking skills

Stresses the need for meticulous attention and care in developing the skills.

rigorous skills

Highlights the strict and demanding nature of the skills.

FAQs

What does "arduous skills" mean?

"Arduous skills" refers to skills that are difficult and require considerable effort, stamina and dedication to acquire and master.

What can I say instead of "arduous skills"?

You can use alternatives like "difficult skills", "challenging skills", or "demanding skills" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "arduous skills"?

While grammatically correct, the phrase "arduous skills" is not commonly used. It's more typical to use alternatives like "difficult skills" or "challenging skills".

In what contexts might I use the phrase "arduous skills"?

You might use "arduous skills" when emphasizing the extreme effort and persistence required to develop particular abilities, especially in fields where mastery demands significant dedication. Consider using it when you want to highlight the difficult path to proficiency. However, remember that more common alternatives like "demanding skills" might be preferred in certain situations.