slightly to find

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "slightly to find" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to express a minor difficulty in locating something, but the wording is awkward and unclear. Example: "I was slightly to find the book I needed in the library."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

And to me, it seemed that Stephen Mangan and Darren Boyd (as Gently and sidekick MacDuff) struggle slightly to find the kind of genius-meets-Everyman chemistry that came so easily to Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman in Sherlock.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

The procedure is examined for circular tensile patches using Sneddon's (1946) equations, applied to a variety of (tensile) pressure distributions: Sneddon's analysis is extended slightly to find the associated pressure distributions.

International Journal of Solids and Structures

Pull the feed down slightly to find the camera icon to create a pin or to refresh the feed.

Huffington Post

You'll have to scroll down slightly to find this button on the right side of the page.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Our next tailor was slightly harder to find.

The New York Times - Travel

Was slightly confused to find the Palace unsupportively declining to explain away my comment.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Her husband doesn't actually like bananas, we're slightly dismayed to find.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Still, I was slightly disappointed to find it not exactly as I remembered.

The New York Times - Travel

One day, I came in, slightly hungover, to find my dressing room full of 4,000 coloured plastic balls.

The Guardian

Sony's Memory Stick is a fine technology but slightly harder to find and, per megabyte, almost twice as expensive.

The New York Times - Tech

His follow-up, "Section.80," from 2011, was widely praised, and slightly easier to find than his previous records.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing the difficulty of finding something, use more standard phrasing such as "a bit difficult to find" or "slightly harder to locate".

Common error

Do not directly translate literal meanings; instead, opt for established idiomatic expressions that accurately convey your intended meaning when describing the ease or difficulty of finding something. For example, instead of saying something like "slightly to find", use phrases such as "a bit difficult to locate" or "somewhat hard to locate".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "slightly to find" does not conform to standard English grammatical structures. It appears to attempt to describe the degree of difficulty in locating something. Ludwig AI considers this phrase to be incorrect.

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

In summary, the phrase "slightly to find" is considered grammatically incorrect by Ludwig AI and does not represent standard English usage. While the intention is likely to convey a minor difficulty in locating something, it is advisable to use more conventional and clear expressions, such as "a bit difficult to find" or "somewhat hard to locate". The phrase appears rarely, and using alternative phrasing will improve clarity and comprehension.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a bit difficult to locate

Emphasizes the minor difficulty in finding something by using "a bit" instead of "slightly".

somewhat hard to locate

Replaces "slightly" with "somewhat" and "find" with "locate" to convey a similar level of difficulty.

not easy to come across

Focuses on the lack of ease in encountering something, rather than direct difficulty in finding it.

a little challenging to discover

Highlights the challenge involved in the discovery process, using "a little" for a milder degree.

takes some effort to uncover

Suggests that uncovering something requires effort, which implies a degree of difficulty.

not immediately apparent

Indicates that something is not obvious or easily visible, making it harder to find quickly.

requires a bit of searching

Directly states the need for searching, implying that it's not straightforward to find.

not the easiest thing to stumble upon

Suggests that finding something is not accidental or effortless.

slightly harder to stumble upon

Emphasizes the relative difficulty compared to other things.

demands a little looking into

Implies that you need to investigate in order to find something.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "slightly to find" to sound more natural?

Instead of saying "slightly to find", opt for more common expressions like "a bit difficult to find" or "somewhat hard to locate" to express a minor difficulty in finding something.

What's a more appropriate way to indicate something is not easy to find?

You can use phrases like "not easy to come across", "requires some searching", or "not immediately apparent" to suggest something is not easily found.

How do I indicate that something takes effort to discover instead of saying "slightly to find"?

Use expressions such as "takes some effort to uncover" or "a little challenging to discover" to imply that finding something requires effort.

Which is the correct way to express a minor difficulty in locating something?

The phrase "slightly to find" is not standard English. More appropriate alternatives are "a bit difficult to find" or "somewhat hard to locate". These phrases clearly and correctly convey a mild level of difficulty.