difficult to pair

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "difficult to pair" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing items, concepts, or elements that are challenging to match or combine effectively. Example: "The new software is difficult to pair with the existing hardware, causing compatibility issues."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

Mr. Greenberg said he could only think of one disease that would be difficult to pair with an eager celebrity.

The New York Times - Style

OF all wines, I find lean, sharp whites like muscadets, pinot blancs and chenin blancs the most difficult to pair with foods.

The New York Times - Food

The spike of heat from the red chiles and the vivid, electric tingle of the Sichuan peppercorns make this red-cooked beef dish one of the more difficult to pair with wine.

The New York Times - Food

Asparagus, artichokes, peas, ramps, fiddlehead ferns, morel mushrooms, and more — spring produce can actually be difficult to pair with wine, particularly at the beginning of the season.

Forbes

They told me that after forty, people were too difficult to pair.

Huffington Post

Given an odd number of families in a census area, the linear program eliminated that family whose place of residence proved most difficult to pair with another.

BMC Public Health

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

£21, amazon.co.uk; £22, Oddbins For soft goat's and creamy cheeses The most difficult cheeses to pair with red grapes, but this youthful, powerful port should cut through the lactic tastes.

Independent

Mickelson said recently that it was difficult to be paired with Woods in those days, because his game possessed no weak spots for a partner to shore up.

The New York Times - Sports

The total incidence of acute, notably primary, dengue is probably even underestimated in this study because it appeared difficult to obtain paired sera from infants and young children, the groups with the highest incidence of acute dengue [ 6].

BMC Infectious Diseases

You will need to plan around these gaps and they can make it incredibly difficult to make paired sets.

WikiHow

This explains why it seems to be difficult for a woman to pair up with a man to marry and raise a family.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "difficult to pair", ensure the context clearly identifies what is being paired and why the pairing is challenging. Be specific about the attributes that make the combination problematic.

Common error

Avoid stating something is "difficult to pair" without explaining why it's challenging. This can leave the reader confused. Instead, provide concrete reasons or examples to illustrate the difficulty.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "difficult to pair" functions as an adjective phrase modifying a noun or pronoun, indicating that the subject is challenging to combine or match effectively. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's a usable phrase in written English. Examples from Ludwig demonstrate its use across various contexts, from food pairings to personal relationships.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Science

43%

Wiki

14%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "difficult to pair" describes something that's challenging to combine effectively, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. It functions as an adjective phrase and is used to convey incompatibility or the demanding nature of finding a suitable match. While not overly frequent, it appears in varied contexts like News & Media and Science. To use it effectively, explain why something is "difficult to pair" rather than making a general statement. Alternatives include phrases such as "hard to combine" and "challenging to match".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

incompatible for pairing

Directly states the incompatibility of elements for pairing, highlighting their unsuitability for being matched.

hard to combine

Replaces "difficult" with "hard" and uses the verb "combine" instead of "pair" to emphasize the act of merging.

challenging to match

Substitutes "difficult" with "challenging" and "pair" with "match", highlighting the demanding nature of finding a suitable correspondence.

not easily matched

Emphasizes the lack of ease in finding a suitable match, using a more passive construction.

not a good match

Uses a simpler, more direct expression to convey the lack of suitability for pairing.

presents pairing difficulties

Shifts the structure to focus on the difficulties associated with pairing, rather than the inherent difficulty.

poses a pairing challenge

Highlights the challenging aspect of pairing, presenting it as a problem to overcome.

complicated to coordinate

Focuses on the complexity of coordinating elements, implying that pairing them is intricate.

awkward to combine

Suggests an unnatural or clumsy combination, emphasizing the disharmony between elements.

unsuitable for combination

Indicates an inherent lack of suitability for combining elements, suggesting incompatibility.

FAQs

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

You can use "difficult to pair" when describing items or concepts that don't combine well. For example, "This wine is "difficult to pair" with spicy foods because its delicate flavors are easily overwhelmed".

What are some alternatives to "difficult to pair"?

Some alternatives include "hard to combine", "challenging to match", or "incompatible for pairing", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "difficult to pair with" grammatically correct?

Yes, "difficult to pair with" is grammatically correct. The preposition "with" specifies what the subject is challenging to pair.

What makes something "difficult to pair"?

Something can be "difficult to pair" due to conflicting attributes, lack of compatibility, or disharmonious characteristics. For example, a strong cheese might be "difficult to pair" with a light-bodied wine.