less of a challenge

USAGE SUMMARY

"less of a challenge" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when you want to express that something is not as difficult or demanding as it could be. For example: "The test was less of a challenge than I was expecting."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Businesspeople are less of a challenge.

The New Yorker

Most experts say SARS has been less of a challenge.

The New York Times

Sunday's depleted Mets lineup should be less of a challenge.

The Washington Post

But global warming has made ripeness less of a challenge.

The New York Times - Food

And it's certainly been less of a challenge since April," when the dot-com market soured.

The New York Times

But Brooke found other concerns, such as making sure her children socialised, less of a challenge.

The Guardian

Nor did the light make it any less of a challenge to find the salmon.

The New York Times - Magazine

But it's less of a challenge than it used to be.

The New York Times - Arts

As Friday's national jobs report showed, finding work is less and less of a challenge.

The Guardian

It thus provides less of a challenge than usual in finding the perfect racing line.

The New York Times - Sports

The second game was less of a challenge for the Violets, as MIT was weak from the start.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Ensure the context makes clear what the subject is "less of a challenge" compared to. Without a point of reference, the phrase can lack meaning.

Common error

Avoid using "less of a challenge" when you simply mean something is easy. The phrase implies a comparison, so ensure you're actually comparing two things.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "less of a challenge" functions as a comparative adjective phrase, typically modifying a noun or pronoun by indicating a reduced level of difficulty or demand. Ludwig examples confirm its use in contrasting the difficulty of various tasks or situations.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Academia

15%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "less of a challenge" is a common and grammatically correct way to express that something is not as difficult as something else. As confirmed by Ludwig, it functions as a comparative adjective phrase. Its usage spans various contexts, most notably news and media. When using this phrase, ensure a clear comparison is established, and that you avoid using it when simply indicating that something is easy. Alternatives like "not as difficult" or "more manageable" can be employed for variety.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

not as difficult

Focuses on the degree of difficulty compared to something else.

easier to overcome

Emphasizes the act of surpassing an obstacle with greater ease.

less daunting

Reduces the feeling of intimidation or apprehension.

less complicated

Directly states a reduction in complexity.

not as problematic

Highlights the reduction in potential issues or complications.

more manageable

Suggests an increased ability to control or handle a situation.

more straightforward

Indicates a lack of complexity or ambiguity.

not as taxing

Implies a decrease in the amount of effort or resources required.

simpler to address

Highlights the straightforward nature of resolving something.

a breeze

Informal expression for something very easy.

FAQs

How can I use "less of a challenge" in a sentence?

Use "less of a challenge" to compare the difficulty of two tasks or situations. For example, "The second exam was "less of a challenge" than the first."

What are some alternatives to saying "less of a challenge"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "not as difficult", "easier to overcome", or "more manageable".

Is it correct to say "least of a challenge"?

While grammatically possible, "least of a challenge" is less common. It's generally clearer to rephrase using "the easiest challenge" or "the smallest challenge".

What's the difference between "less of a challenge" and "not much of a challenge"?

"Less of a challenge" implies a direct comparison, while "not much of a challenge" suggests something is generally easy. For example, "This puzzle is "less of a challenge" than yesterday's" versus "This puzzle is "not much of a challenge"".