is prohibitively difficult

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "is prohibitively difficult" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a task or situation that is extremely challenging or nearly impossible to accomplish. Example: "The process of obtaining a visa for that country is prohibitively difficult, deterring many potential travelers."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

America has usually steered clear of this sort of action against state-run economies, saying it is prohibitively difficult to calculate excess subsidies.

The Economist

Argentina and Venezuela are approaching crisis conditions, and immigration to the United States is prohibitively difficult.

TechCrunch

For some time now, synthetic biologists have recognized that rational design – creating entire bacterial genomes from scratch – is prohibitively difficult because of the vast complexity of living systems, of which we have only limited knowledge.

Life Sciences, Society and Policy

Despite optimality of centralized techniques in resource allocation, finding the analytic formulation and in turn the optimum point is prohibitively difficult due to the non-convexity of the associated optimization problem [16, 17].

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Somewhat akin to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, it is prohibitively difficult to make high-resolution measurements during VF without disturbing the natural behaviour.

BioMed Research International

Since the task is prohibitively difficult for a gene that is found in just one genome, a practical modification of the problem is to label each set of orthologous genes, shared by several genomes, as either ancestral or non-ancestral (see [ 5] for definition of orthology and discussion of issues in practical detection of orthologs).

Biology Direct

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

That may sound reasonable, but it can be prohibitively difficult, said Helena Peacock, the legal director of Penguin Books in Britain.

The New York Times - Arts

Not so long ago, even a conversation like this one would have been prohibitively difficult for Mr. Tammet, now 28.

The New York Times

But without federal oversight, the amount of state-to-state communication that would be required would be prohibitively difficult, he said.

The New York Times

That's the defining difference between the US and British systems: in America, it's prohibitively difficult to overturn a supreme court decision.

The Guardian

Throughout the nineteen-nineties and early two-thousands, it was prohibitively difficult for an independent game maker to reach a wide audience.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "is prohibitively difficult" when you want to emphasize that a task or process is not just hard, but practically unachievable due to its complexity or other constraints.

Common error

Avoid using "is prohibitively difficult" when describing tasks that are merely challenging or require effort. Reserve it for situations where the obstacles are truly overwhelming and nearly impossible to overcome.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "is prohibitively difficult" functions as a predicative adjective phrase. It describes a subject by attributing to it the characteristic of being almost impossible to accomplish. Ludwig shows how it is utilized to express the extreme level of challenge associated with a task or situation.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

41%

Encyclopedias

9%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "is prohibitively difficult" is a grammatically sound and usable expression to describe tasks that are nearly impossible due to significant challenges. Ludwig indicates that it is most commonly found in science and news media contexts, signaling its suitability for analytical or professional writing. Alternatives such as "extremely challenging" or "virtually impossible" can be used depending on the desired nuance. It's crucial to reserve this phrase for situations where the obstacles are genuinely overwhelming and not just moderately challenging, as also suggested by Ludwig's AI analysis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

is extremely challenging

Emphasizes the high degree of difficulty involved.

is virtually impossible

Highlights the near impossibility of the task.

is exceedingly complex

Focuses on the intricate and complicated nature of the task.

is unreasonably arduous

Suggests the difficulty is beyond what is fair or necessary.

presents insurmountable obstacles

Highlights that the issues cannot be overcome.

is a bridge too far

Indicates that the goal is beyond reach.

is fraught with difficulties

Emphasizes the presence of many problems.

faces overwhelming challenges

Highlights the large-scale issues in accomplishing the task.

is a Herculean task

Emphasizes the immensity and difficulty compared to the labors of Hercules.

is beyond the realm of possibility

Suggests the action to be simply impossible.

FAQs

How can I use "is prohibitively difficult" in a sentence?

You can use "is prohibitively difficult" to describe tasks that are almost impossible to complete due to extreme challenges. For example, "Calculating the exact number of stars in the universe "is prohibitively difficult"."

What are some alternatives to "is prohibitively difficult"?

Alternatives include "extremely challenging", "virtually impossible", or "exceedingly complex". The best choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

When is it appropriate to use "is prohibitively difficult"?

Use it when you want to highlight that something is not just difficult, but so complex or challenging that it's practically impossible to achieve. It's stronger than saying something is "very difficult".

What makes a task "prohibitively difficult"?

A task might be "prohibitively difficult" due to a combination of factors, such as immense complexity, lack of resources, technological limitations, or ethical considerations.