particularly more difficult

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "particularly more difficult" is not correct in standard written English.
It is redundant because "particularly" and "more" both imply a comparison, making the phrase unnecessary. Example: "This task is particularly difficult for beginners."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

But she added: "Working in a mature and adult way where you recognise what your shared goal is – that is not something which I think would be particularly more difficult with Labour than it is with the Conservatives".

Independent

In case of a proximal scaphoid fracture, the blood supply through the scaphoid bone is interrupted, making the healing process of the proximal pole particularly more difficult [5].

International Journal of Emergency Medicine

She said: "Working in a mature and adult way where you recognise what your shared goal is, that is not something which I think would be particularly more difficult with Labour than it is with the Conservatives".

BBC

And it is particularly more difficult for someone to gain employment in this country if they are black or brown.

Huffington Post

Because of genetic drift, predicting FST becomes particularly more difficult when more barriers separate populations.

Evolutionary Applications

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

When initiating an injectable therapy, such as basal insulin or a GLP-1 mimetic, physicians should be mindful of the relative benefits of the individual therapies with respect to improvements in glycaemic control and weight management, particularly in more difficult to treat patient groups.

Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism

Better-performing students are selective about which areas of the screen they focus on, which is particularly noticeable for more difficult problems (Kardan and Conati 2012).

Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning

The FP cluster showed BOLD signals consistent with a role in response verification after route processing has completed (response checking), particularly during a more difficult reading task variant.

Cerebral Cortex

But if you try to completely destroy them, that's a lot more difficult, particularly when they believe themselves to be based on an idea".

The New York Times

Capturing the cost of pain, or the long-term impact on capabilities and potential, is far more difficult, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

The Guardian

Sex with local colleagues, who do not live in the organisation's compound, can sometimes be even more difficult, particularly when working in a conservative community.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "particularly more difficult" as it is redundant. Instead, opt for stronger, more concise adjectives like "especially challenging" or "unusually tough" to convey the intended meaning.

Common error

Be cautious about stacking intensifiers like "particularly" and "more". While each word aims to amplify the adjective, combining them often creates unnecessary wordiness and weakens the overall impact. Choose the single best word to express the level of difficulty.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "particularly more difficult" functions as an adverbial modifier intended to intensify the degree of difficulty. However, Ludwig AI highlights that the construction is redundant, as both "particularly" and "more" serve to amplify the adjective "difficult".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Encyclopedias

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "particularly more difficult" aims to emphasize the level of challenge, but, as Ludwig AI indicates, the phrase is redundant. While examples exist in diverse sources like The New York Times and scientific journals, its grammatical status is considered incorrect due to the overlapping intensifiers. The phrase appears most often in news and media and scientific contexts. To improve clarity and conciseness, it's best to opt for alternatives like "especially challenging" or "unusually tough". By avoiding redundant intensifiers, writers can achieve a stronger and more impactful message.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

particularly challenging

Replaces "more difficult" with "challenging", removing the redundant comparison.

particularly demanding

Focuses on the demanding nature of the task.

significantly harder

Focuses on the comparative aspect of the difficulty, using "significantly" for emphasis.

especially challenging

Replaces both "particularly" and "more difficult" with a single, stronger adjective.

exceptionally hard

Uses "exceptionally" to emphasize the difficulty level.

noticeably tougher

Highlights the noticeable difference in difficulty compared to a baseline.

unusually tough

Employs "unusually" to highlight the unexpected difficulty.

especially arduous

Substitutes with a more formal term, "arduous", for a high degree of difficulty.

distinctly more complex

Shifts the focus to complexity as the source of difficulty.

remarkably problematic

Emphasizes the problems arising from the difficulty.

FAQs

What's wrong with the phrase "particularly more difficult"?

The phrase "particularly more difficult" is considered redundant in standard English. Both "particularly" and "more" function as intensifiers, so using them together is generally unnecessary. It's better to choose one or the other, or use a single stronger adjective.

What can I say instead of "particularly more difficult"?

You can use alternatives like "especially challenging", "unusually tough", or "particularly demanding" depending on the context.

Is "particularly difficult" grammatically correct?

Yes, "particularly difficult" is grammatically correct. It's a common and acceptable way to emphasize the difficulty of something. The issue arises when you add "more" to the phrase, creating redundancy.

Which is correct, "particularly more difficult" or "more difficult"?

"More difficult" is the better choice because it is concise and grammatically sound. "Particularly more difficult" is redundant. If you want to add emphasis, consider stronger adjectives instead, or use "particularly difficult".