difficult to gather

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "difficult to gather" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to information, data, or resources that are hard to collect or compile. Example: "The data for the report was difficult to gather due to the lack of available sources."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Also, it is very difficult to gather clinching evidence in terrorism cases.

The New York Times

But statistics can be difficult to gather, and the numbers of victims are likely underestimated.

The New York Times

It is difficult to gather information because this is a war zone.

The New York Times

Forensic evidence was difficult to gather because bodies had been buried and bullet-scarred walls had been repaired.

The New York Times

It is extremely difficult to gather the uncontained wastes, and little progress has been made on them.

The New York Times

"It's a very good programme, but it's difficult to gather more than 30 people together," she explains.

The Guardian - Sport

Not so surprising, perhaps: such large and expensive (at least to insure) paintings are very difficult to gather together.

The Guardian - Arts

Now they are also trying to work around injuries that have made it more difficult to gather a sense of what they are working with.

The New York Times - Sports

Heading into the vote, Democrats acknowledged it would be difficult to gather enough support to pass the bill under special rules requiring a two-thirds majority.

The New York Times

In addition, the school year will have ended, making it too difficult to gather children for a planned youth concert, he said.

The New York Times

"It is very difficult to gather and coordinate and create a platform for all these different groups and clans," said Mr. Himyari.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "difficult to gather", specify the reason for the difficulty. This provides more context and clarity to your writing. For instance, instead of saying "Data was difficult to gather", try "Data was difficult to gather due to privacy restrictions".

Common error

Avoid using "difficult to gather" as a generic filler. Always ensure that the difficulty is genuine and relevant to the context. If data is simply unavailable, a more accurate phrase might be "impossible to obtain" or "nonexistent".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "difficult to gather" functions as an adjectival phrase modifying a noun, or implied noun. It describes the quality of something being challenging to obtain or assemble. Ludwig AI confirms that this construction is grammatically sound and widely recognized.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

37%

Science

53%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "difficult to gather" is a grammatically correct and frequently used expression to describe something challenging to obtain or assemble. Ludwig AI identifies the phrase as usable in written English, noting its widespread applicability across various contexts, particularly in news, media, and scientific writing. While it maintains a neutral register suitable for both formal and informal communication, it's essential to provide context for the difficulty, enhancing clarity and avoiding generic overuse.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

challenging to collect

Replaces "difficult" with "challenging" and "gather" with "collect" for a slightly more formal tone.

problematic to obtain

Highlights the issues or obstacles involved in acquiring something.

hard to come by

Uses an idiomatic expression to convey scarcity or rarity.

not easy to assemble

Focuses on the act of putting things together, implying complexity.

tough to compile

Implies a demanding process of gathering information from various sources.

complex to accumulate

Emphasizes the intricacy of gradually increasing the quantity of something.

not straightforward to garner

Uses a more sophisticated vocabulary to convey the lack of simplicity in acquiring something.

arduous to secure

Highlights the effort and determination required to obtain something.

demanding to extract

Focuses on the complexity or the difficulty in obtaining or extracting something.

laborious to amass

Highlights the hard work and dedication required in gathering or accumulating something.

FAQs

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

You can use "difficult to gather" to describe information, resources, or support that is not easily obtained. For example, "Evidence in this type of case is often difficult to gather." or "It was difficult to gather enough volunteers for the event".

What are some alternatives to "difficult to gather"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "challenging to collect", "hard to come by", or "problematic to obtain".

When is it appropriate to use "difficult to gather" instead of "impossible to find"?

"Difficult to gather" implies that something exists but is hard to obtain, while "impossible to find" suggests that something cannot be located at all. Use "difficult to gather" when the issue is accessibility rather than existence.

Is "difficult to gather" formal or informal?

"Difficult to gather" is generally considered neutral in tone and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. However, for highly formal writing, consider more sophisticated alternatives like "arduous to secure" or "not straightforward to garner".