difficult to reveal

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "difficult to reveal" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing something that is hard to disclose or make known, often due to complexity or sensitivity. Example: "The truth about the situation was difficult to reveal, as it involved many personal feelings and conflicts."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

35 human-written examples

"It's very difficult to reveal bias in humans, [and] very difficult to convince humans that they are biased.

Princeton University

Due to their anisotropic nature and complicated architecture, it is very difficult to reveal the damage mechanisms of these materials from the results of mechanical tests.

Composites Science and Technology

He thinks that investors would be more impressed than scared if there were more disclosure, but accepts that it is difficult to reveal all unless competitors do the same.Astronomical leverageCDOs and CDSs generate other concerns too.

The Economist

Counterintelligence officials said the unwillingness of the F.B.I. director, Louis J. Freeh, to require wider use of polygraphs to screen employees for possible security problems was partly responsible for making it more difficult to reveal the work Mr. Hanssen is accused of doing as a spy for Moscow.

The New York Times

However, it was difficult to reveal the relation between the surface morphologies and the leakage currents by using only the AFM and SEM analyses.

Nanoscale Research Letters

In most cases, field tests can only obtain the macro mechanical properties, making it difficult to reveal the intrinsic meso-mechanism of the SRM deformation and failure process.

International Journal of Coal Science & Technology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

25 human-written examples

This means that the attacker will be dealing with a more difficult task to reveal the value of the hashed key.

EURASIP Journal on Information Security

Although sawtooth-shaped load curves are observed in nanocontact experiments during retraction [33, 35], it is difficult to directly reveal the underlying deformation mechanism through the atomic configurations.

Nanoscale Research Letters

In our initial explorations, however, we found it difficult to reliably reveal single voxels' orientation preferences by using the original paradigm.

Cerebral Cortex

On the other hand, it would be difficult to reliably reveal orientation selectivity around other elements (occupying >50% of area in V1), such as singularities, where neurons contained within a single voxel can respond to all orientations.

Cerebral Cortex

The company also said that users' scrambled passwords were exposed in the breach, but were hashed and salted, making it difficult for anyone to reveal the original password.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "difficult to reveal", consider whether the difficulty arises from the complexity of the information itself, the sensitivity of the topic, or external obstacles to disclosure. This will help you choose the most appropriate alternative phrasing if needed.

Common error

Avoid using "difficult to reveal" in casual conversations or informal writing. Simpler alternatives like "hard to say" or "tough to explain" might be more appropriate and natural in less formal settings.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "difficult to reveal" functions primarily as an adjective phrase modifying an infinitive, describing the degree of effort or challenge associated with the act of revealing something. Ludwig examples show it being used in various scientific and general contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

23%

Academia

8%

Less common in

Wiki

6%

Encyclopedias

2%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "difficult to reveal" is a common expression used to describe the challenge of disclosing or uncovering information. As confirmed by Ludwig, it is grammatically correct and frequently used across various domains, particularly in scientific research, news reporting, and academic writing. While versatile, it is important to consider the context and choose simpler alternatives like "hard to disclose" or "tough to explain" for more informal settings. When employing "difficult to reveal", be mindful of the factors contributing to the difficulty, such as complexity or sensitivity, to ensure the most precise and impactful communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

hard to disclose

Replaces "difficult" with "hard", indicating a similar level of challenge but with a slightly more informal tone.

challenging to unveil

Substitutes "difficult" with "challenging" and "reveal" with "unveil", adding a sense of discovery or unveiling something hidden.

not easy to uncover

Uses a negative construction to express difficulty, emphasizing the lack of ease in uncovering something.

tough to bring to light

Replaces "reveal" with "bring to light", conveying the act of making something known or public after some struggle.

problematic to disclose

Implies that there are problems or potential negative consequences associated with revealing the information.

complex to discern

Shifts the focus to the complexity of understanding or perceiving something, rather than the act of revealing it.

obscured from view

Focuses on the state of being hidden or unclear, implying that revealing it would require overcoming the obscurity.

veiled in secrecy

Emphasizes the deliberate act of concealing something, making it difficult to reveal without overcoming the secrecy.

concealed from scrutiny

Suggests an attempt to keep something hidden from examination or investigation, indicating that revealing it would require overcoming this concealment.

arduous to make known

Highlights the effort and labor required to make something known, emphasizing the demanding nature of the revealing process.

FAQs

What does "difficult to reveal" mean?

It means something is challenging to disclose or make known, often due to its complexity, sensitivity, or the presence of obstacles. It suggests that extra effort or specific strategies might be needed to uncover or communicate the information effectively.

What can I say instead of "difficult to reveal"?

You can use alternatives like "hard to disclose", "challenging to unveil", or "not easy to uncover" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

How do I use "difficult to reveal" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe information, feelings, or truths that are not easily brought to light. For example, "The root cause of the problem was difficult to reveal due to conflicting data."

Is "difficult to reveal" formal or informal?

The phrase "difficult to reveal" is generally considered neutral to slightly formal. While understandable in most contexts, consider alternatives like "hard to say" or "tough to explain" for more informal situations.