had difficulty paying

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had difficulty paying" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to express that someone faced a challenging situation in making a payment or payments. For example, "The family had difficulty paying all their bills after losing their source of income."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

27 human-written examples

Have you had difficulty paying for treatment?

The New York Times

At first the family had difficulty paying for food.

The Washington Post

Crippled by debts which may exceed $2bn, Kingfisher had difficulty paying employees' salaries.

The Guardian

Earlier in Ash Norton's career, she worked with a colleague — whom we'll call Nancy — who had difficulty paying attention.

Harvard Business Review

About half had difficulty paying their bills; many took out loans, mortgages or credit card debt to pay them.

The New York Times

She then had difficulty paying the mortgage and liquidated part of her 401(k) retirement fund to keep current.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

33 human-written examples

Kingfisher soon had difficulties paying for fuel, particularly as costs were inflated by surging oil prices and punitive government levies.

The Guardian

Girls appeared to respond well to the curriculum but girls 5-7 years had difficulties paying attention and understanding discussion questions.

BMC Public Health

Unemployment has risen and consumers are having difficulty paying their bills.

The New York Times

They already have difficulty paying the rent for their two-bedroom apartment.

The New York Times

"We're having difficulty paying for them as it is," he said.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "had difficulty paying", ensure the context clearly specifies what the payments are for (e.g., bills, mortgage, tuition).

Common error

Don't use "had difficulty paying" without specifying what they had difficulty paying. Provide context to avoid ambiguity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had difficulty paying" functions as a verb phrase indicating an action or state of facing challenges related to financial obligations. As supported by Ludwig, it's a grammatically correct way to express this idea.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Academia

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had difficulty paying" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase to describe financial struggles. Ludwig AI confirms its usability. The analysis reveals that it's most commonly found in news and media, followed by science and business contexts. When using this phrase, ensure clarity by specifying what the difficulty paying refers to. Alternatives include "struggled to pay" or "found it hard to pay". Remember to maintain neutrality and provide adequate context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

struggled to pay

Replaces "had difficulty" with "struggled", emphasizing the effort involved in paying.

found it hard to pay

Uses a more informal tone, indicating a challenge in making payments.

experienced trouble paying

Substitutes "difficulty" with "trouble", maintaining a formal tone.

were unable to pay

Indicates a complete inability to pay, suggesting a more severe situation.

faced challenges in paying

Highlights the challenges encountered during the payment process.

had a hard time paying

Employs a more colloquial expression for difficulty.

were strapped for cash

Uses an idiomatic expression to imply a lack of funds for payment.

defaulted on payments

Specifies the outcome of the difficulty – failure to pay.

were in arrears

A more formal way of saying payments were overdue.

fell behind on payments

Suggests a gradual inability to keep up with payment schedules.

FAQs

What can I say instead of "had difficulty paying"?

You can use alternatives like "struggled to pay", "found it hard to pay", or "experienced trouble paying" depending on the context.

Is "had difficulty paying" grammatically correct?

Yes, "had difficulty paying" is grammatically correct. It follows the standard English structure of "had + noun + verb-ing" to express difficulty in performing an action. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability.

How to use "had difficulty paying" in a sentence?

Use "had difficulty paying" to describe a past situation where someone faced challenges in making payments. For example: "The family "had difficulty paying" their medical bills after the job loss".

What's the difference between "had difficulty paying" and "had trouble paying"?

The phrases ""had difficulty paying"" and "had trouble paying" are very similar and often interchangeable. "Had trouble paying" might be perceived as slightly more informal, but both convey the same basic meaning of facing challenges in making payments.