seeking difficulties

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "seeking difficulties" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe the act of intentionally looking for challenges or obstacles, often in a context of personal growth or testing one's limits. Example: "He has a habit of seeking difficulties in his projects to push himself beyond his comfort zone."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The present study attempts to understand users' information seeking difficulties by drawing on a hypothesis testing explanatory framework.

Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

This was a moment in art that cherished complexity and sought difficulty: the epoch of the high modernist avant garde at its brilliant and sometimes profound zenith.

The Guardian - Arts

Two inventories embedded in this assessment, to assess potential deterrents to help seeking and difficulties encountered in care, demonstrated very clear principal component structure, and were helpful in understanding aspects of help seeking and satisfaction with care.

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Inventories in this assessment that were designed to identify potential deterrents to help seeking and difficulties encountered in care demonstrated clear principal component structures, and helped to explain satisfaction with care.

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Weaker relationships between MD and health service use by immigrants than LTRs may reflect immigrants' exposure to unique structural and cultural factors that inhibit help seeking (eg, difficulties identifying available resources, fear of being misunderstood or being discriminated against by practitioners, etc).

BMJ Open

GPs and specialists highlighted delays in patient help-seeking, difficulties applying the colorectal cancer referral criteria due to their low predictive value, and concerns about the stringent application of targets because of potential impact on individual care and associated penalties for breaching.

BMJ Open

It's fitting he died in the same week as Havel, in the year of the Arab Spring, when from Tunis to Moscow people are seeking with difficulty what Hitchens prized most: the right to raise your voice in trenchant disagreement — and live.

The New York Times

The most commonly endorsed barriers to help seeking were difficulty making an appointment, worry about wasting the doctor's time and worry about what would be found.

British Journal of Cancer

There may be delays making the decision to seek care, difficulties in reaching care, or problems with the range or quality of care available [ 7].

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

A deft, confident first novel that rarely departs from the landing of a Bombay apartment building, where a servant with a god's name lies dying, while upstairs a nominal Muslim struggles with spiritual difficulties, seeking "the rapture of faith".

The New York Times - Books

A deft, confident first novel that rarely departs from the landing of a Bombay apartment building, where a servant with the name of a god lies dying, while upstairs a nominal Muslim struggles with spiritual difficulties, seeking "the rapture of faith".

The New York Times - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "seeking difficulties" to convey an intentional pursuit of challenging situations, often to foster growth or test limits. Ensure the context clearly indicates this deliberate intent.

Common error

Be careful not to use "seeking difficulties" when you mean simply encountering problems. The phrase implies a deliberate choice, not accidental misfortune.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "seeking difficulties" functions as a verb phrase, where "seeking" is a present participle acting as a gerund and "difficulties" is the direct object. It describes the act of actively looking for challenging situations. Ludwig confirms its usability in English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

35%

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "seeking difficulties" describes the act of intentionally pursuing challenges or complex situations, often for personal growth or skill development. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English. While the phrase can be used in various contexts, it's most frequently found in scientific and news media sources. When using "seeking difficulties", it is important to ensure that the context clearly indicates a deliberate intent, and alternatives like "pursuing challenges" or "embracing complexity" can provide similar meanings with slightly different nuances.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

pursuing challenges

Focuses on the active pursuit of challenges, emphasizing a proactive approach.

finding challenges

Describes the process of identifying difficult situations.

facing complexities

Stresses the act of dealing with complex and intricate issues.

embracing complexity

Highlights the acceptance and engagement with complex situations, rather than necessarily seeking them out.

navigating obstacles

Highlights the process of maneuvering through existing challenges.

welcoming hardships

Implies a positive reception of difficult circumstances, suggesting resilience.

contending with difficulties

Focuses on actively struggling against problems.

inviting obstacles

Suggests a deliberate action of bringing obstacles into one's path.

grappling with complexities

Emphasizes a deep engagement and struggle with intricate matters.

courting adversity

Emphasizes a proactive effort to face unfavorable situations.

FAQs

How can "seeking difficulties" be used in a sentence?

You can use "seeking difficulties" to describe someone who intentionally looks for challenging situations, such as "He is always "seeking difficulties" in his work to improve his skills".

What are some alternatives to "seeking difficulties"?

Alternatives include "pursuing challenges", "embracing complexity", or "welcoming hardships", depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

Is it better to say "seeking difficulties" or "facing difficulties"?

"Seeking difficulties" implies actively looking for challenges, while "facing difficulties" simply means encountering and dealing with problems that arise. The choice depends on whether the action is intentional or reactive.

What does it mean when someone is "seeking difficulties"?

It suggests that they are intentionally putting themselves in challenging situations, often for the purpose of personal growth, skill development, or testing their limits. It indicates a proactive approach to overcoming obstacles rather than avoiding them.