difficult to envisage that

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "difficult to envisage that" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when expressing that something is hard to imagine or conceive as a possibility. Example: "Given the current circumstances, it is difficult to envisage that we will achieve our goals this year."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

"It is not difficult to envisage that, in legal proceedings to follow, individual soldiers will argue the defence of justification by reason of this legal advice," he added.

The Guardian

She said it was difficult to envisage that the "release of information about events that happened some time ago to weapons that no longer exist could cause harm if made more widely available".

The Guardian

N-of-1 designs have value [ 3], but it is difficult to envisage that they could substitute for traditional randomized trials to answer most questions.

Genome Medicine

From these data, it is difficult to envisage that patients with a mean increase in creatinine of 1.7 mg/dL had a 6.6-fold increased risk of death.

Critical Care

However, it is difficult to envisage that an end-stage patient will consider to undergo multiple hospital admissions, multiple pharmacokinetic samplings and serial tumour biopsies without any potential benefit.

British Journal of Cancer

However, it is difficult to envisage that the prevalence of either of these would have changed favourably during recent times of famine and civil war in Mozambique (Harington et al, 2002).

British Journal of Cancer

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Even if it did, it is hard to envisage that it would have a huge impact.

The New York Times

It also makes it difficult to envisage experiments that would help us decide between his hypothesis and the view that all we need to internalize a moral code is general-purpose learning-from-experience circuitry — the same circuitry that lets us internalize, say, the rules of baseball.

The New York Times - Books

On the face of it, it is not difficult to envisage scenarios that would correspond to the diagram in Figure 4.

SEP

Yet it is difficult to envisage how tissues that are not exposed to the outer environment might contribute to prion spread among sheep in a flock.

Plosone

However, given the many conflicting uses for low value/trash fish, it is difficult to envisage a management system that optimises the supply of low value/trash fish for both human and livestock/fish uses and at the same time excludes juvenile fish.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

For clearer and more direct communication, consider alternatives like "hard to imagine that" or "unlikely that" in less formal contexts.

Common error

While grammatically correct, "difficult to envisage that" can sound overly formal in casual conversation or informal writing. Opt for simpler phrases like "hard to imagine that" or "I don't think that's likely" for a more natural tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "difficult to envisage that" serves as an evaluative expression, indicating a speaker's assessment of the improbability or unlikelihood of a particular event or scenario. Ludwig AI confirms the phrase is usable in written English. It functions to introduce a statement that challenges conventional expectations.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

63%

News & Media

37%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "difficult to envisage that" is a grammatically correct expression used to convey doubt or disbelief about a future possibility. Ludwig AI marks it as usable in written English. While primarily found in scientific and news contexts, its formality level leans toward neutral, making it suitable for considered analyses rather than casual conversation. When a less formal tone is more appropriate, alternatives such as "hard to imagine that" or "unlikely that" can serve as effective substitutes.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

hard to imagine that

Replaces "difficult to envisage" with a more common synonym, "hard to imagine".

difficult to believe that

Substitutes "envisage" with "believe", focusing on the credibility aspect.

unlikely to happen that

Shifts the focus to the probability of an event occurring.

not easy to foresee that

Replaces "difficult to envisage" with "not easy to foresee", emphasizing prediction.

scarcely conceivable that

Uses more formal vocabulary to convey a similar sense of improbability.

challenging to picture that

Emphasizes the difficulty in forming a mental image.

implausible that

Presents a direct assessment of the likelihood of something.

beyond the realm of possibility that

Suggests something is almost impossible.

it strains credulity to think that

Highlights the challenge to one's belief.

one can hardly imagine that

Emphasizes the lack of a clear mental picture or expectation.

FAQs

What does "difficult to envisage that" mean?

It means that something is hard to imagine or conceive as a possibility. It suggests a significant degree of doubt or improbability.

What can I say instead of "difficult to envisage that"?

You can use alternatives like "hard to imagine that", "unlikely that", or "difficult to believe that" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "difficult to envisage" or "hard to imagine"?

Both are correct, but "hard to imagine" is generally more common and less formal. "Difficult to envisage" is suitable for more formal writing or when you want to emphasize the imaginative aspect.

How can I use "difficult to envisage that" in a sentence?

You can use it to express doubt or disbelief about a future event. For example, "It is difficult to envisage that the project will be completed on time given the current delays."