it was highly difficult

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it was highly difficult" is not correct in standard English; "highly" is not typically used with "difficult." You can use it in informal contexts, but it may sound awkward or overly formal.
Example: "Despite the challenges, it was highly difficult to maintain my composure during the presentation."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

Wiki

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Since it was highly difficult to acquire the population for each cell, it was assumed that population locations complied with residential blocks.

Environmental Systems Research

He noted that it was highly difficult to harmonize the two.

Wikipedia

This study provides no information on informal caregivers who did not respond, as it was highly difficult to assess demographic data when refusal was stated during the invitation phone call.

BMC Palliative Care

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

"My perception right now is the effects of calorie restriction are multiple," he said, "so I think it's highly difficult to find one, or two or three drugs that will mimic such a complex effect".

The New York Times - Magazine

Hence, it is highly difficult to ensure the long-term guaranteed path from one node to the other node.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

It is highly difficult to apply such a criterion in septic shock.

Critical Care

Not rarely in clinical routine it is highly difficult to evaluate the volume status of a patient.

Critical Care

Since there is limited availability of early-stage human embryos used for hESC derivation, it is highly difficult to obtain HLA-matched hESCs for all patients.

Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics

However, a significant obstacle to effective model-based studies comes from the fact that it is highly difficult to achieve the values of model parameters.

BMC Systems Biology

Over the years, finding replacement parts was highly difficult and the escalators were often out of service.

Huffington Post

He suggested it would be "highly difficult, as difficult or more difficult than the original production".

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Opt for more conventional alternatives such as "extremely difficult" or "very challenging" to maintain grammatical correctness and clarity.

Common error

Avoid pairing "highly" with adjectives like "difficult" in formal writing. While not strictly incorrect, it can sound awkward. Choose stronger or more appropriate adverbs like "extremely", "very", or "particularly."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it was highly difficult" functions as a descriptive statement, assessing the level of challenge associated with a specific task or situation. However, according to Ludwig AI, this phrase is grammatically questionable, and there are better options available.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while "it was highly difficult" is understandable, it's not considered grammatically sound in standard English. Ludwig AI suggests that "highly" isn't the best fit with "difficult", recommending alternatives like "extremely difficult" or "very challenging" for improved correctness and clarity. Although the phrase appears in various contexts, including science, news and media, opting for grammatically stronger alternatives is advisable, especially in formal writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it was extremely difficult

Replaces "highly" with "extremely" for improved grammatical correctness and naturalness.

it was very difficult

Uses "very" instead of "highly", resulting in a more common and grammatically sound phrase.

it was particularly challenging

Substitutes "difficult" with "challenging" and "highly" with "particularly", offering a slightly different nuance.

it presented significant challenges

Restructures the sentence to emphasize the challenges posed, rather than directly describing the difficulty.

it was remarkably arduous

Employs "arduous" to replace "difficult" and "remarkably" for "highly", indicating a demanding task.

it proved to be quite a struggle

Shifts the focus to the experience of struggling, conveying the difficulty in an indirect manner.

it was no easy task

Uses an idiomatic expression to imply that the task was difficult, though indirectly.

it was a considerable undertaking

Highlights the scale and complexity of the task, suggesting difficulty.

it demanded great effort

Focuses on the effort required, implying that the task was difficult and demanding.

it required substantial expertise

Highlights the need for expertise, indirectly suggesting the high level of difficulty involved.

FAQs

What's a more grammatically sound alternative to "it was highly difficult"?

Alternatives include "it was extremely difficult", "it was very difficult", or "it was particularly challenging".

Is "it was highly difficult" considered grammatically correct in English?

While understandable, "it was highly difficult" is not considered standard English. It's better to use alternatives like "it was extremely difficult".

In what contexts might I use "it was highly difficult"?

Although not preferred, you might encounter "it was highly difficult" in informal contexts. However, more formal or professional settings call for alternatives such as "it was very difficult" or "it was particularly challenging".

What's the difference between "it was highly difficult" and "it was extremely difficult"?

"It was extremely difficult" is the better choice because it is grammatically correct and in common usage.