difficult as it might be

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of the sentence 'difficult as it might be' is correct and can be used in written English.
It is used to indicate that something may be challenging to do, yet the speaker still has to do it anyway. Example: I have to finish my project by tomorrow, difficult as it might be.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

27 human-written examples

As difficult as it might be to imagine, he was an excellent listener.

Stanford University

This has to be a mutual process, difficult as it might be".

The Guardian

But, difficult as it might be to imagine, despite these absences there was plenty of art.

The Guardian - Arts

As difficult as it might be to fathom, Mickelson, 38, has never won the PGA Tour money title.

The New York Times - Sports

As difficult as it might be to believe, Bachmann did occasionally censor herself, as when she carefully departed from the spotlight in the aftermath of that close election.

The Guardian - Opinion

Putting a Number on Happiness As difficult as it might be to compile sustainability indicators, it's equally challenging to create measures that describe our social and emotional lives.

The New York Times - Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

33 human-written examples

It may typically experience a number of periods of high demand during a year--but when this demand will happen is difficult to predict as it might be related to acts-of-god, traffic accidents or spikes in social media activity.

Journal of Cloud Computing: Advances, Systems and Applications

Empirical hypotheses yield predictions: difficult and long as it might be to test and decide about it, eukaryotic cells either have or haven't originated by symbiosis; more narrowly, this or that particular genome either is or isn't the result of some hybridation among ancestors.

Evolution: Education and Outreach

Second, understanding the role of individual parameters on different aspects of observed systems dynamics can be difficult for parameter-rich models as it might be too time consuming to explore this systematically and exhaustively.

BMC Systems Biology

A limitation of this study is that it might be difficult to enrol the participants due to the fear of stigmatisation, as it might be difficult for parents to talk about their problems.

BMC Psychiatry

Ms. Ehrlich concluded, "you have to look at the dollars" required in your particular case, as it might be difficult to recoup the costs.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "difficult as it might be" to acknowledge potential challenges before committing to a course of action, demonstrating foresight and determination.

Common error

Avoid using "difficult as it might be" as a justification for inaction or failure. Instead, ensure it's followed by a demonstration of effort or a plan to overcome the difficulty.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "difficult as it might be" functions as an adverbial clause of concession. It modifies the main clause, acknowledging a potential obstacle while not preventing the action described in the main clause. Ludwig examples confirm this concessive usage.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Academia

20%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "difficult as it might be" serves as a concessive adverbial clause, acknowledging potential challenges while affirming a commitment to proceed. As shown by Ludwig, it's widely used in news, academic, and scientific writing, and carries a neutral to formal tone. The Ludwig AI confirms the correctness and utility of this phrase. When using this phrase, ensure it is followed by a demonstration of effort, avoiding its misuse as an excuse for inaction. Remember to consider alternative phrases like "challenging though it may be" or "hard though it may seem" for stylistic variation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

challenging though it may be

Replaces "difficult" with "challenging" and uses "may be" instead of "might be", maintaining the core meaning.

hard though it may seem

Substitutes "difficult" with "hard" and "be" with "seem", adjusting the perceived effort.

tough as it may get

Uses "tough" and "get" to emphasize the increasing hardship.

despite the potential difficulty

Frames the difficulty as a possibility rather than a certainty.

even if it proves arduous

Replaces "difficult" with "arduous" to highlight the demanding nature.

regardless of the complexity involved

Focuses on the intricate nature of the task instead of the difficulty.

no matter how taxing it becomes

Emphasizes the burden or strain involved.

though it presents obstacles

Highlights the presence of impediments rather than the overall difficulty.

in spite of the foreseeable hurdles

Focuses on anticipating and overcoming specific obstacles.

granting it could be problematic

Acknowledges potential problems while committing to action.

FAQs

How can I use "difficult as it might be" in a sentence?

Use "difficult as it might be" to acknowledge the potential challenges of a task or situation before committing to it. For example, "Difficult as it might be, we must persevere."

What phrases are similar in meaning to "difficult as it might be"?

Similar phrases include "challenging though it may be", "hard though it may seem", and "tough as it may get".

Is it correct to say "as difficult as it may be" instead of "difficult as it might be"?

Yes, "as difficult as it may be" is a grammatically correct and semantically similar alternative to "difficult as it might be". Both phrases are used to acknowledge potential challenges.

How does the phrase "difficult as it might be" affect the tone of a statement?

The phrase "difficult as it might be" adds a tone of realism and acknowledgment of potential challenges, while also conveying a sense of determination to proceed despite those challenges.