harder to understand

USAGE SUMMARY

"harder to understand" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is typically used to describe something that is difficult to comprehend or comprehend fully. This phrase is commonly used when discussing complex or confusing ideas, concepts, or language. For example: "It was harder to understand the instructions written in the foreign language." "The mathematics equations were becoming harder to understand as the problems increased in complexity." "The professor's lecture on quantum physics was harder to understand than the previous week's lesson." "The legal document was filled with technical jargon, making it harder to understand for those without a legal background." "The children's book was written in simple language, making it easier for young readers to understand, but the advanced vocabulary in the scientific book made it harder to understand for most people."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Formal & Business

Science & Research

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

Even harder to understand.

The New York Times - Arts

Some are harder to understand than others.

The Economist

The male figure is harder to understand.

The New York Times - Arts

And a bit harder to understand.

The New York Times

FEW things are harder to understand than somebody else's nationalism.

The Economist

What's harder to understand is the popularity itself.

The New Yorker

Wright's vertical ambitions are a little harder to understand.

The New Yorker

Even harder to understand is relative risk, medical experts said.

The New York Times - Health

Having a complete break would make it harder to understand the natives.

The Economist

It's harder to understand what the appeal is to fed-up Tories.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

"Everything comes out in a flat monotone, which makes an accent even harder to understand".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing the complexity of a topic, use "harder to understand" to gently suggest the need for simplification or further explanation. For example: "While the concept is technically sound, it may be "harder to understand" for newcomers."

Common error

Avoid using "harder to understand" to imply something is impossible to understand. The phrase suggests a degree of difficulty, not an absolute barrier. For example, instead of "Quantum physics is harder to understand", consider "Quantum physics presents significant challenges to understanding".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "harder to understand" functions as a comparative adjective phrase modifying an infinitive. It describes something that requires more effort or ability to comprehend compared to something else. Ludwig examples confirm this comparative function in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

56%

Science

22%

Wiki

9%

Less common in

Formal & Business

7%

Science & Research

6%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "harder to understand" is a grammatically sound and frequently used construction to express comparative difficulty in comprehension. Ludwig AI confirms this with its "Correct" grammatical status and numerous examples across diverse sources, predominantly in News & Media and Science contexts. When writing, use "harder to understand" to indicate relative difficulty, remembering that it implies a degree of challenge rather than impossibility. Consider alternatives like "more difficult to grasp" or "more challenging to comprehend" for nuanced expression. By grasping its implications and usage patterns, writers can use "harder to understand" to accurately communicate levels of difficulty to their audience.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

more difficult to grasp

Replaces "harder" with "more difficult" and "understand" with "grasp", emphasizing the act of mentally seizing an idea.

more challenging to comprehend

Substitutes "harder" with "more challenging" and "understand" with "comprehend", suggesting a stimulating difficulty.

less straightforward to decipher

Uses "less straightforward" instead of "harder" and "decipher" for "understand", implying a need to decode or interpret.

not easy to make sense of

Rephrases the concept of understanding as "making sense of" something, highlighting the process of interpretation.

tougher to get your head around

Employs the idiom "get your head around", offering a more informal way to express understanding something difficult.

difficult to make out

Replaces "understand" with "make out", suggesting the act of perceiving or discerning something not immediately clear.

obscure and not easily understood

Adds the descriptor "obscure" to the challenge of understanding, signifying a lack of clarity.

baffles comprehension

Uses the verb "baffles" to express the act of something being difficult to understand, conveying a sense of bewilderment.

eludes understanding

Uses the verb "eludes" to indicate that understanding is not easily achieved or attained.

presents a cognitive hurdle

Frames the difficulty of understanding as a "cognitive hurdle", emphasizing the mental effort required.

FAQs

How can I use "harder to understand" in a sentence?

Use "harder to understand" to describe something that requires more effort to comprehend than something else. For example, "The second chapter was "harder to understand" than the first because it introduced more complex concepts."

What are some alternatives to "harder to understand"?

You can use alternatives like "more difficult to grasp", "more challenging to comprehend", or "less straightforward to decipher", depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

Which is correct, "harder to understand" or "more hardly to understand"?

"Harder to understand" is correct. "Harder" is the comparative form of the adjective "hard", while "hardly" is an adverb meaning "scarcely" or "barely". "More hardly" is grammatically incorrect in this context.

What's the difference between "harder to understand" and "difficult to understand"?

"Harder to understand" implies a comparison – something is more difficult to understand than something else. "Difficult to understand" simply states that something is not easy to understand, without making a direct comparison.