face a difficulty

USAGE SUMMARY

"face a difficulty" is correct and commonly used in written English.
It means to encounter or deal with a challenge or problem. Example: "She had to face a difficulty when her car broke down on a deserted road with no cell phone service."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

They face a difficulty, though: were they to back the idea of stopping Scottish MPs from voting on topics that affect only England (and maybe Wales and Northern Ireland), they would create a Parliament with first-class, English, and second-class, Scottish, members—an unhappy outcome for a unionist party.

The Economist

COROLLARY: Unless you face a difficulty that causes a protracted inability to turn in work for the course or take a pop quiz (e.g., an extended illness or injury or severe personal problem), we do not wish to hear about an upcoming job interview or one-time medical appointment or any other event that causes you to miss one quiz, up to two problem sets, or one lab report.

University of California, Berkeley

Abelard's position was shown to face a difficulty by Alberic of Paris in the 1130s.

SEP

Despite its explicitly modal character, the Modal Approach does face a difficulty similar to the one faced by the Question Approach.

SEP

At this point of research, however, we still face a difficulty: the model chain contains one parameter that was introduced for mathematical reasons, i.e., well-posedness of the elastic fiber net model, but turned out to strongly influence the tensile behavior.

Journal of Mathematics in Industry

Such an approach will, however, face a difficulty in explaining how two speech acts with the same content, such as an assertion that the Milky Way contains a black hole, and a conjecture that it does, will make different conversational contributions.

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

But Russia faces a difficulty, too.

The Economist

Students are facing a difficulty either in understanding native speakers or in producing native-like English (accent/pronunciation).

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences

But Mr. Clinton faces a difficulty that the ordinary writer -- even the ordinary presidential writer -- doesn't.

The New York Times

But about to go back on tour, the comedian faces a difficulty: kids want to see him live.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

However, for solving the multi-objective vehicle routing problem with time windows (MO-VRPTW), MOEA/D faces a difficulty that many sub-problems have duplicated best solutions.

Computers & Operations Research

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider the tone of your writing when choosing alternatives. While "face a difficulty" is generally neutral, phrases like "run into a snag" are more informal.

Common error

Avoid using incorrect prepositions after "difficulty". While it's correct to "face a difficulty", don't follow it with unnecessary prepositions like "face a difficulty with" when simply describing the encounter.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "face a difficulty" functions as a verb phrase indicating the act of encountering or dealing with a challenge. It highlights the moment of confrontation with a problem. This is consistent with Ludwig's examples, which show various subjects "facing" different kinds of "difficulties".

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

32%

News & Media

40%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Encyclopedias

4%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "face a difficulty" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase to describe encountering a challenge or problem. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's widely accepted in written English. Its neutral register makes it appropriate for diverse contexts, ranging from scientific discussions to news reports. While alternatives like "encounter a problem" or "meet a challenge" exist, "face a difficulty" offers a clear and direct way to introduce a problematic situation. Be mindful of the preposition usage and avoid adding unnecessary words after "difficulty".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

encounter a problem

Replaces "difficulty" with "problem", focusing on the event of meeting an issue.

confront an obstacle

Substitutes "face" with "confront" and "difficulty" with "obstacle", emphasizing a direct encounter with a barrier.

meet a challenge

Uses "meet" instead of "face" and "challenge" instead of "difficulty", portraying a test of one's abilities.

run into a snag

Replaces the formal "face a difficulty" with the more informal "run into a snag", implying a minor unexpected problem.

experience a setback

Changes the focus to the result of the difficulty, highlighting a temporary impediment to progress.

grapple with an issue

Indicates a more prolonged and intense engagement with a problem than simply facing it.

contend with a problem

Highlights the act of struggling to overcome an issue or difficulty.

be up against a tough situation

Expresses the encounter with a difficult set of circumstances, using a more descriptive and less direct approach.

find oneself in a bind

Indicates a restrictive or awkward situation that presents difficulties.

stumble upon a hurdle

Suggests accidentally discovering an obstacle while in pursuit of something else.

FAQs

How can I use "face a difficulty" in a sentence?

You can use "face a difficulty" to describe encountering a challenge or problem. For example, "The company had to face a difficulty when their main supplier went out of business."

What's a more formal alternative to "face a difficulty"?

A more formal alternative could be "encounter a problem" or "confront an obstacle", depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "face with a difficulty"?

No, the correct phrase is "face a difficulty". The preposition "with" is unnecessary and grammatically incorrect in this context.

What's the difference between "face a difficulty" and "overcome a difficulty"?

"Face a difficulty" means to encounter or confront a challenge. "Overcome a difficulty" implies successfully resolving or conquering the challenge.