largest difficulty

USAGE SUMMARY

"largest difficulty" is a perfectly correct part of a sentence in written English.
You can use it when referring to a particularly difficult problem or issue you are facing. For example, "The largest difficulty we have encountered so far is how to make the project profitable."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

The largest difficulty in considering the Kerik downfall is knowing in which niche of public disgrace to categorize him.

The New Yorker

The fact that Mac users will be asked to move into the future by stepping into the past underscores the largest difficulty for Mr. Jobs since he returned to run Apple in 1997.

The New York Times

If adults can simultaneously hold two search templates in working memory, and run behavior can be used to estimate that ability, we expected 4-year-olds to have the largest difficulty with simultaneously holding two target categories in mind.

Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

One of the largest difficulties in fatigue damage is to find a representative 'Damage indicator' which can be easily connected with the Wöhler curve taken as known data of the material.

International Journal of Fatigue

Music supervisor Ivan Pavlovich has cited the large scale of the game as one of the largest difficulties when producing the score.

Wikipedia

One of the largest difficulties facing epidemiological research is that of measurement error in an exposure or relevant confounders [ 1- 4].

BMC Medical Research Methodology

A larger difficulty vexes evolutionary psychologists' sexual speculations in general.

The New Yorker

But there is a larger difficulty in America's reclaiming its former pre-eminence.

The Guardian - Books

One large difficulty concerns the very ideals for which America is fighting: freedom, justice and the rule of law.

The Economist

But the larger difficulty facing Pat Mulroy and Peter Binney, as they describe it, is re-engineering the culture and conventions of the West before it becomes too late.

The New York Times - Magazine

A larger difficulty is that the Academy's membership is not particularly diverse: a report in 2012 found that around 94% of its members were white, and more than 77% were male.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "largest difficulty" when you want to emphasize that a specific problem is the most significant among others. It's suitable for formal writing where precision is valued.

Common error

Avoid using "largest difficulty" in informal contexts. Simpler phrases like "biggest problem" or "main challenge" are often more appropriate for everyday conversation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "largest difficulty" functions as a noun phrase, where "largest" modifies the noun "difficulty". As Ludwig AI pointed out, it highlights a specific problem or issue.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "largest difficulty" is a grammatically correct way to express the most significant problem or challenge in a given situation. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage. While not as common as alternatives like "biggest problem" or "greatest challenge", "largest difficulty" is appropriate for formal contexts where precision is important. Its primary function is to emphasize the magnitude of a specific issue. This phrase appears in sources such as The New Yorker and The New York Times.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

greatest challenge

Replaces "difficulty" with "challenge" and "largest" with "greatest", emphasizing the competitive aspect of the difficulty.

biggest problem

Substitutes "difficulty" with the more common term "problem", making it sound less formal.

main obstacle

Replaces "difficulty" with "obstacle", shifting the focus to something that blocks progress.

primary hurdle

Uses "hurdle" instead of "difficulty", implying a challenge that needs to be overcome.

most significant impediment

Replaces both "largest" and "difficulty" with more formal vocabulary, indicating a substantial barrier.

major complication

Uses "complication" to describe a factor that makes something more difficult, typically in an existing situation.

central issue

Replaces "difficulty" with "issue", framing it as a point of debate or concern.

foremost struggle

Substitutes "difficulty" with "struggle", suggesting a sustained effort to overcome something.

key disadvantage

Frames the difficulty as a weakness or drawback in a particular situation.

principal adversity

Replaces "difficulty" with "adversity", which implies hardship and suffering caused by the difficulty.

FAQs

How to use "largest difficulty" in a sentence?

You can use "largest difficulty" to highlight the most significant problem in a situation. For example, "The "largest difficulty" we faced was securing funding".

What can I say instead of "largest difficulty"?

Alternatives include "greatest challenge", "biggest problem", or "main obstacle", depending on the specific context.

Which is correct, "largest difficulty" or "greatest difficulty"?

Both "largest difficulty" and "greatest difficulty" are grammatically correct and can be used interchangeably. The choice depends on your preference and the tone you want to convey.

What's the difference between "largest difficulty" and "major difficulty"?

"Largest difficulty" implies that the difficulty is the most significant compared to others. "Major difficulty" simply indicates that the difficulty is substantial, without necessarily being the most significant. The semantic difference is small, so, you can use any of them without altering the meaning in a significant way.