nowadays harder

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "nowadays harder" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a comparison of difficulty in the present time compared to the past. Example: "Finding a job in this economy is nowadays harder than it was a decade ago."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Furthermore, intellectual-property laws that award a kind of monopoly through patents are not easily reconciled with the whole notion of antitrust suits.The opponents of high-tech antitrust cases also assert that successful prosecution is nowadays harder than it was.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Players whose films are nowadays hard to see become so real that you feel you have known them.

The Economist

The first concerns the ODI captain Alastair Cook, who is trying to adapt his Test match batting to the demands of modern one‑day cricket and is finding aspects of it – specifically the hitting part, which has to be in the armoury nowadays – hard to master.

The Guardian - Sport

Competition in the solar cell market is nowadays hard-hitting, so it is getting more concern on the cost in the manufacturing of the thin-film solar cells.

Nanoscale Research Letters

Nowadays hard coatings are widely used to prolong lifetime of most tools and machinery elements and to improve their working efficiency.

Surface and Coatings Technology

But nowadays, every hard-charging C.E.O.

The New Yorker

It's not uncommon for small businesses to fail, and capital nowadays is hard to come by.

The New York Times

Nowadays, the hard-nosed financiers who are so tough when making millions put a touching faith in the estimates printed in catalogs and in the advice they receive from auction houses.

The New York Times - Arts

Because of the high incidence of liner wear and osteolysÍs of modular cementless cups in this series, nowadays we use hard-on-hard articulations in these patients.

Acta Orthopaedica

And it's even harder nowadays because politics has entered the mix.

The New York Times

Nowadays, it is harder and more expensive to live, never mind take years out to really hone a band, and record companies rarely allow acts time to develop.

The Guardian - Music

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "nowadays harder", ensure the context clearly establishes what it is being compared to. Specify the past situation or timeframe to make the comparison explicit.

Common error

Avoid using "nowadays harder" without clearly specifying what is easier than. For example, instead of saying "Life is nowadays harder", specify what aspect of life and compared to what time period, such as "Finding affordable housing is nowadays harder than it was a decade ago."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "nowadays harder" functions as an adverbial modifier intensifying an adjective or adverb. It specifies that the quality being modified is more pronounced in the present era. Ludwig examples show it modifying concepts like 'prosecution'.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "nowadays harder" is a grammatically sound, though relatively uncommon, way to express that something is more difficult in the present time compared to the past. According to Ludwig, this phrase is acceptable in written English. The phrase is most frequently encountered in news and media contexts. When using "nowadays harder", ensure the comparison to a past state is clear and explicit. While not frequently used it is a valid way to express a change in difficulty over time.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

more challenging these days

Focuses on the increased challenge present now.

more difficult in current times

Highlights the difficulty within the present era.

tougher in this day and age

Uses a more informal tone to convey increased toughness.

increasingly arduous now

Emphasizes the growing effort required.

progressively more demanding today

Highlights the progressive increase in demands.

more complicated in recent years

Focuses on increased complication over a period.

harder to come by in today's climate

Highlights the increasing difficulty to find something.

an uphill battle now

Uses a metaphorical expression of increasing struggle.

more competitive nowadays

Focuses on the increased competitiveness.

a greater struggle now

Emphasizes an increase in struggle.

FAQs

How can I use "nowadays harder" in a sentence?

Use "nowadays harder" to compare the difficulty of something in the present time compared to the past. For example: "Getting a job is "more challenging these days" than it used to be".

What are some alternatives to the phrase "nowadays harder"?

You can use alternatives like "more difficult in current times", "tougher in this day and age", or "increasingly arduous now", depending on the context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "nowadays harder"?

Yes, "nowadays harder" is grammatically correct and understandable, although it is relatively uncommon. Ludwig AI confirms that "nowadays harder" is usable in written English.

What's the difference between "nowadays harder" and "more difficult now"?

"Nowadays harder" explicitly implies a comparison to the past, whereas "more difficult now" simply states that something is currently difficult without the comparative aspect. Choosing between the two depends on whether you want to emphasize the change over time.