difficult to detect

USAGE SUMMARY

"difficult to detect" is a correct phrase and can be used in written English.
You can use it to describe something that is hard to find, or to notice something that is not easily noticed. For instance, you could say, "The perpetrator had left few clues, making it difficult to detect who had committed the crime."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

This makes them difficult to detect.

The Economist

It was difficult to detect any sense of disappointment.

The New Yorker

But Mr. Hillier's hand would be difficult to detect.

The New York Times

The political connotations are not difficult to detect here.

The New Yorker

The infection is rare, and exceedingly difficult to detect.

The New York Times

By its nature, publication bias is difficult to detect.

The Guardian - Opinion

But an underlying philosophy is not difficult to detect.

The New York Times - Books

"Bureaucracies find it difficult to detect and mitigate insider threats.

Cornell University

1 death per million exposed people is difficult to detect.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Uranium, however, is somewhat more difficult to detect than plutonium.

MIT Technology Review

And that would make it more difficult to detect.

MIT Technology Review

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a technical challenge in a report, use "difficult to detect" to accurately convey the limitations of current methods or technologies.

Common error

Avoid exaggerating the difficulty by using overly dramatic language. Instead of saying something is "impossible to detect", opt for "difficult to detect" to maintain credibility and accuracy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "difficult to detect" primarily functions as an adjective phrase modifying a noun (often implied), indicating a quality or characteristic of something. This relates directly to Ludwig's confirmation of its correct usage and many examples, highlighting scenarios where something is not easily found or observed.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

39%

News & Media

37%

Academia

5%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "difficult to detect" is a grammatically correct and frequently used phrase that describes the challenge of identifying or noticing something. Ludwig AI validates its usage across various contexts, especially in scientific, news and academic domains. While alternatives like "hard to detect" or "challenging to detect" exist, the core meaning remains consistent. When using this phrase, ensure you're accurately representing the degree of difficulty and avoid overstating the claim. Using this phrase is very common and usually appears in formal registers.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

tricky to detect

Replaces "difficult" with "tricky", indicating a slightly less formal and more nuanced challenge in detection.

hard to detect

Substitutes "difficult" with "hard", offering a more direct and straightforward alternative.

challenging to detect

Employs "challenging" instead of "difficult", suggesting a stimulating or engaging level of difficulty.

not easily detected

Uses a passive construction to emphasize the lack of ease in detection.

elusive to detect

Replaces "difficult" with "elusive", indicating that the thing being detected is hard to catch or find.

obscure to detect

Using "obscure" instead of "difficult" indicates the thing to detect is vague and not easily understood.

subtle to detect

Replaces "difficult" with "subtle", focusing on the understated or delicate nature of what needs to be detected.

imperceptible to detect

Using "imperceptible" indicates that the thing to detect is not able to be perceived.

undiagnosable

Condenses the phrase into a single word, implying an inability to identify or diagnose something.

hard to discern

Shifts the focus from detection to discernment, emphasizing the difficulty in distinguishing or recognizing something.

FAQs

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

You can use "difficult to detect" to describe something that is hard to find or notice. For example, "The subtle changes in the data made the anomaly "difficult to detect"".

What are some alternatives to "difficult to detect"?

Some alternatives include "hard to detect", "challenging to detect", or "not easily detected depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "difficult to be detected"?

While grammatically understandable, "difficult to be detected" is less common and often less direct than ""difficult to detect"". The active voice is generally preferred for clarity.

What's the difference between "difficult to detect" and "difficult to identify"?

"Difficult to detect" implies that something is hard to find or notice, while "difficult to identify" suggests that, even if found, its nature or origin is hard to determine. The phrases focus on different stages of the process.