hard to put off

USAGE SUMMARY

"hard to put off" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when describing something that is difficult to delay or postpone. For example: "The vacation was so tempting that it was hard to put off until next year."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

And that excludes several spending measures that are hard to put off.

The Economist

But she finds it hard to "put off these well-meaning young people," and so she agrees, and seats herself in their bedroom on the appointed night.

The New Yorker

But he will find it hard to put off some decisions, including those on two Jewish districts under construction in the Ras al-Amud and Har Homa areas of east Jerusalem, the sector claimed by the Palestinians as a future capital.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Knowing that someone is counting on you makes it harder to put off exercising.

Huffington Post

When you commit to writing 50,000 words in 30 days, and you have a group of friends watching, it's much harder to put off the hard work of creating that novel.

Huffington Post

Yet, as Bill Gates can attest, once Mr Klein gets stuck into something, he is a hard man to put off.

The Economist

Q. Was it difficult for you to get used to the online business model of temporarily suspending profitability? A. Yes, it's very hard for me to put off making money because I come from the old world, so it's difficult to wait and I'm always pushing.

The New York Times

Without competition or monitoring, managers do seem to put off hard decisions.

Harvard Business Review

The results are consistent with the hypothesis: Without competition or monitoring, managers do seem to put off hard decisions.

Harvard Business Review

And it authorized the increase for just 90 days, suggesting that it is continuing to put off hard decisions and deny unpleasant realities.

The New York Times

There is a slim chance this might happen: heads of government of the rich and powerful G8 meet in Genoa, Italy, this weekend, and the group's European members plan to ambush Mr Bush and Mr Koizumi on the matter.But on balance, a volte face seems unlikely: Japanese governments tend to put off hard decisions for as long as possible.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "hard to put off" when you want to emphasize the difficulty in delaying or postponing something. This phrase is often used when referring to decisions, tasks, or obligations that require immediate attention.

Common error

Avoid using "hard to put off" in highly formal or academic writing. While grammatically correct, it might sound too informal. Consider using more formal alternatives like "difficult to postpone" or "challenging to defer" in such contexts.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hard to put off" functions as an idiomatic expression that serves as an adjective phrase describing something that is difficult to postpone or delay. Ludwig AI confirms its correct and usable form.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "hard to put off" is a grammatically correct and understandable idiomatic phrase used to describe something difficult to postpone, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. While mostly found in news and media, the phrase is neutrally formal, making it suitable for diverse contexts with more formal options available for business or academic writing. Consider alternatives like "difficult to postpone" or "challenging to delay" for elevated formality. Despite being correct and usable in sentences, it's important to select the right level of formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

difficult to postpone

Replaces the idiomatic "put off" with the more formal "postpone", increasing formality.

challenging to delay

Substitutes "hard" with "challenging" and "put off" with "delay", offering a slightly softer tone.

tough to defer

Replaces "hard" with "tough" and "put off" with "defer", slightly raising the formality.

not easy to postpone

Uses a negation to convey the difficulty of postponing, changing the sentence structure.

difficult to procrastinate on

Emphasizes the act of procrastination as the reason for difficulty, shifting the focus.

pressing to address

Changes the focus to the urgency of addressing something rather than the difficulty of delaying it.

unavoidable to tackle

Highlights the inevitability of dealing with something, rather than the struggle to postpone.

imperative to handle

Emphasizes the necessity of handling something promptly, altering the original nuance.

impossible to disregard

Focuses on the inability to ignore something, shifting the meaning slightly.

essential to attend to

Highlights the importance of attending to something, changing the emphasis from difficulty of delay.

FAQs

What does "hard to put off" mean?

The phrase "hard to put off" means something is difficult or impossible to postpone or delay. It implies a sense of urgency or importance that makes it challenging to defer the action or decision.

How can I use "hard to put off" in a sentence?

You can use "hard to put off" to describe tasks, decisions, or events. For example, "The deadline was so close that it was hard to put off finishing the project" or "The doctor's advice was so pressing that it was hard to put off scheduling the appointment."

What are some alternatives to "hard to put off"?

Some alternatives to "hard to put off" include "difficult to postpone", "challenging to delay", "tough to defer", and "not easy to postpone". Each alternative varies slightly in formality and emphasis. See more at "difficult to postpone".

Is "hard to put off" formal or informal?

"Hard to put off" leans towards the neutral side, making it suitable for a variety of contexts. However, it is less formal than alternatives like "difficult to postpone" or "imperative to handle" See more at "imperative to handle".