incredibly hard

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "incredibly hard" is correct and usable in written English.
It is used to describe something that is extremely difficult or challenging. Example: The physics exam was incredibly hard, even the top students struggled to pass it.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Incredibly hard".

The New Yorker

"They work incredibly hard.

The New York Times

"Fabio's worked incredibly hard.

Independent

We worked incredibly hard".

The New York Times

Teachers work incredibly hard.

The Guardian

People work incredibly hard".

The New York Times

Well, it's incredibly hard.

Harvard Business Review

It's incredibly hard to avoid.

The New York Times

But they train incredibly hard".

The New York Times

'It's incredibly hard to say.

The Guardian - Film

"My parents worked incredibly hard".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a challenge or task, use "incredibly hard" to emphasize the significant level of difficulty involved. It conveys a stronger sense of intensity than simply saying 'very hard' or 'difficult'.

Common error

While "incredibly hard" is acceptable, avoid overusing it in casual conversation or informal writing. Opt for simpler terms like 'really tough' or 'super difficult' to maintain a more natural tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "incredibly hard" functions as an intensifier + adjective, modifying a noun or pronoun to express a high degree of difficulty or challenge. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Academia

15%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Science

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "incredibly hard" is a commonly used and grammatically correct expression used to emphasize a high degree of difficulty or challenge. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and frequent appearance in various contexts, particularly in news and media. While its neutral register makes it suitable for many situations, be mindful of overusing it in overly informal settings. For alternative expressions, consider "extremely difficult" or "exceptionally challenging" to convey a similar meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

extremely difficult

This alternative uses a different adverb and adjective to express a similar level of difficulty.

exceptionally challenging

Replaces 'hard' with 'challenging' and 'incredibly' with 'exceptionally' to indicate a difficult task.

remarkably tough

Substitutes 'incredibly' with 'remarkably' and 'hard' with 'tough', providing a slightly different tone.

particularly arduous

Uses 'arduous' to denote a task requiring significant effort and 'particularly' for emphasis.

exceedingly demanding

Employs 'demanding' to highlight the high requirements of a task, intensified by 'exceedingly'.

terribly strenuous

Replaces 'hard' with 'strenuous' to emphasize the effort involved, and 'incredibly' with 'terribly'.

extraordinarily taxing

Uses 'taxing' to describe something that places a heavy burden, modified by 'extraordinarily'.

uncommonly rigorous

Substitutes 'hard' with 'rigorous' to indicate strictness and thoroughness, intensified by 'uncommonly'.

surprisingly gruelling

Uses 'gruelling' to emphasize the exhausting nature of something, and 'surprisingly' to add an element of unexpected difficulty.

intensely laborious

Replaces 'hard' with 'laborious' to highlight the effort-intensive nature, modified by 'intensely'.

FAQs

What does "incredibly hard" mean?

The phrase "incredibly hard" means something is extremely difficult or challenging. It intensifies the degree of difficulty beyond simply 'hard'.

What can I say instead of "incredibly hard"?

You can use alternatives like "extremely difficult", "exceptionally challenging", or "remarkably tough" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "incredibly hard" or "very hard"?

"Incredibly hard" suggests a higher degree of difficulty than "very hard". The best choice depends on the level of emphasis you want to convey.

How can I use "incredibly hard" in a sentence?

You might say, "The test was incredibly hard, even for the students who studied the most." It emphasizes that the test was particularly challenging.