difficult to decline

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "difficult to decline" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to an offer, invitation, or request that is hard to refuse or say no to. Example: "The job offer was so appealing that it was difficult to decline, despite my current commitments."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

Murray has carried the team for years; if asked, he will find it difficult to decline, but before the Edmund result, he was unsure.

The Guardian - Sport

And while any shareholder can ask a question of any board member at any time -- with board members under no legal obligation to provide an answer -- there is generally time set aside at the annual meeting for shareholders to address questions to the board members, at which time the board might find it more difficult to decline to answer.

The New York Times

"You can start out not wanting to shake hands or hug, but if the other person leans over, it becomes more and more difficult to decline," said Dr. Duranti, who is dean of social sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The New York Times - Health

Yet some archaeologists say it is difficult to decline money for the field they care about -- particularly when the Levy-White money has supported causes like excavations at the ancient Canaanite city of Ashkelon, Israel, a project that Professor Stager of Harvard directs.

The New York Times - Arts

From Fig. 5a, the calculation complexity of opportunity cloud computing scheme is not too sensitive to mobile node scale, which is difficult to decline because of the size of the mobile node influence and jitter significantly.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

And it is difficult to decline without being rude.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

It was both difficult and easy to decline.

HuffPost

Explained Huh Chang-soo, who heads GS Group and chairs the Federation of Korean Industries: "It's a South Korean reality that if there is a government request, it is difficult for companies to decline".

Huffington Post

With its filing, the Justice Department essentially tried to make it more difficult for the Supreme Court to decline a direct review.

The New York Times

But this began just as the economy started to decline, a difficult time for many charities.

The Guardian

Institutionally, Wikipedia has a difficult problem: to allow anyone to decline to be a subject of an article would be an admission that the supposed collective editing process is deeply flawed.

The Guardian - Tech

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "difficult to decline" when you want to emphasize the struggle or social pressure involved in refusing an offer or request. It suggests there are compelling reasons to accept, even if you'd prefer not to.

Common error

While grammatically sound, overuse of passive constructions like "it is difficult to decline" can make your writing sound less direct and engaging. Consider rephrasing the sentence to highlight who finds it difficult and why. E.g., "I found it difficult to decline because..."

Linguistic Context

Adjective phrase functioning as a pre-modifier, describing the degree of challenge associated with the action of declining. This phrase describes the intensity or challenge of refusing an invitation, offer, or request. As Ludwig AI confirms, the expression is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "difficult to decline" is a grammatically sound expression used to convey the challenge involved in refusing an offer or request. As Ludwig AI underlines, it's a correct and usable phrase. While not as common as simpler alternatives like "hard to refuse", it emphasizes the compelling reasons or social pressures that make saying no a struggle. Its presence in both news media and scientific literature suggests a neutral register, suitable for various writing contexts. When choosing this phrase, consider whether you want to specifically highlight the difficulty of refusal, as opposed to simply stating that something was refused.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

hard to refuse

Directly replaces "difficult" with "hard", maintaining the meaning of a challenging refusal.

difficult to say no to

Rephrases "decline" as "say no to", making it more conversational.

tough to turn down

Uses "tough" instead of "difficult" and "turn down" instead of "decline", slightly more informal.

challenging to reject

Replaces "difficult" with "challenging" and "decline" with "reject", giving a slightly stronger sense of opposition.

hard to pass up

Uses a more idiomatic expression, focusing on missing an opportunity.

not easily refused

Uses passive voice to convey the difficulty in refusing.

awkward to refuse

Shifts the focus to the social discomfort of declining.

uncomfortable to decline

Similar to "awkward to refuse", emphasizing personal discomfort.

nearly impossible to refuse

Exaggerates the difficulty, suggesting it's almost unavoidable.

irresistible

Implies that the offer is so appealing that declining is nearly out of the question.

FAQs

How can I use "difficult to decline" in a sentence?

You can use "difficult to decline" to describe situations where refusing something is challenging due to various factors. For example: "The job offer was so appealing that it was "difficult to decline", despite my reservations." or "These invitations were often "difficult to decline", especially where the female contact or participant had gone to considerable lengths to help the researcher".

What are some alternatives to "difficult to decline"?

You can use alternatives like "hard to refuse", "tough to turn down", or "challenging to reject" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it more appropriate to say "difficult to decline" or "hard to decline"?

Both "difficult to decline" and "hard to decline" are grammatically correct and convey a similar meaning. "Difficult" is slightly more formal, while "hard" is more common in everyday conversation. The choice depends on the context and desired tone.

When is it most appropriate to use the phrase "difficult to decline"?

The phrase "difficult to decline" is best used when you want to emphasize the reasons or pressures that make refusing something challenging, such as social obligations, appealing benefits, or potential consequences.