compounded the difficulties

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "compounded the difficulties" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when describing a situation where existing problems are made worse by additional factors or challenges. Example: "The unexpected storm compounded the difficulties faced by the rescue teams trying to reach the stranded hikers."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

The school's closure compounded the difficulties faced by children at the detention centre.

The Guardian

Gavett had compounded the difficulties by asking the singers to adopt a version of Nicola Vicentino's intricate tuning system.

The New Yorker

Damage to roads and to the airport runway has compounded the difficulties of getting supplies to where they are needed most.

The Guardian

"The outbreak of SARS, which was entirely unexpected, has compounded the difficulties facing our industry, particularly in this region," Geoff Dixon, the chief executive, said in a statement.

The New York Times

Methodological problems that compounded the difficulties in interpretation and generalisability of study findings included selection biases and use of non-representative samples, idiosyncratic outcome measures, inadequate adjustment for confounding, and the prevailing medico-legal or compensation context.

Injury

The extreme depth of the mine, the history of mining-induced seismic activity in Utah's coal-mining region, and the method of coal recovery — called retreat mining — that had been done in the past by the mine's co-owner, the Murray Energy Corporation, all compounded the difficulties and dangers the miners faced, the experts said.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

Language problems compounded the difficulty, she said.

The New York Times

The wind, the cold weather and the inaccessibility of the building because of its waterfront location compounded the difficulty of fighting the fire, he added.

The New York Times

A further wrinkle compounded the difficulty canvassing boards faced when weighing ballots with late domestic postmarks: some actually were sent from overseas.

The New York Times

Such factors, along with the relative paucity of studies of liana measurements, have compounded the difficulty of vine research and carbon storage.

Yale University

The continuing guerrilla assaults on occupying forces and leaders of the new Iraqi government in the years after the war only compounded the difficulty of rebuilding Iraq.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use alternatives like "exacerbated the challenges" or "aggravated the issues" to add variety to your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "compounded the difficulties" when the situation hasn't been previously challenging. The phrase implies a pre-existing problem that has been made worse, not the creation of a new one.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "compounded the difficulties" functions as a verb phrase, indicating that something has worsened or intensified pre-existing problems. As Ludwig AI explains, the phrase is correct and usable in English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

42%

Science

33%

Academia

17%

Less common in

Wiki

4%

Encyclopedias

2%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "compounded the difficulties" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase that signifies the worsening of an already challenging situation. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is appropriate for describing situations where existing problems are intensified by additional factors. While not exceedingly common, it appears across diverse contexts, including news, scientific literature, and academic writing. Related phrases include "exacerbated the problems" and "worsened the challenges". To use it effectively, ensure the context clearly indicates pre-existing difficulties before introducing the compounding element.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

exacerbated the problems

Replaces "compounded" with "exacerbated" and "difficulties" with "problems", maintaining the core meaning of making something worse.

worsened the challenges

Substitutes "compounded" with "worsened" and "difficulties" with "challenges", offering a more straightforward and common phrasing.

magnified the issues

Uses "magnified" to indicate an increase in the severity or impact of the existing issues.

aggravated the complications

Replaces "compounded" with "aggravated" and "difficulties" with "complications", suggesting an increase in severity.

intensified the hardships

Employs "intensified" to convey a strengthening or heightening of the hardships already present.

added to the burdens

Uses "added to" to describe incrementing a list of burdens that are difficult to bear.

further complicated matters

Focuses on the act of complicating a situation that is already complex.

deepened the crisis

Highlights how the crisis became deeper.

heightened the struggle

Emphasizes increasing the intensity of a struggle already in progress.

added insult to injury

Indicates how something already hard is now also a mockery.

FAQs

How to use "compounded the difficulties" in a sentence?

Use "compounded the difficulties" to describe how a situation's challenges were made worse. For example, "The unexpected storm "compounded the difficulties" faced by the rescue teams."

What can I say instead of "compounded the difficulties"?

You can use alternatives like "worsened the challenges", "exacerbated the problems", or "aggravated the situation" depending on the specific context.

Is it redundant to say "compounded the difficulties and challenges"?

While not strictly redundant, it's generally better to choose either "difficulties" or "challenges" for a more concise sentence. Saying both can sometimes feel repetitive. Consider, "The lack of funding "compounded the difficulties"".

What's the difference between "compounded the difficulties" and "created difficulties"?

"Compounded the difficulties" means making existing problems worse, while "created difficulties" means introducing new problems. The former implies prior challenges; the latter does not.