technical hiccup

USAGE SUMMARY

"technical hiccup" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to refer to a temporary, minor malfunction, error, or interruption in a machine, system, or process due to external or internal factors. For example, "The graphics in the presentation were compromised due to a technical hiccup."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Tech

Sports

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

"[The technical hiccup] was less than ideal," a tired Nanjiani said at the end of a long night.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

So they have focused their attention on a technical hiccup and tried to spin it as a symptom of systematic incompetency — if the Obama administration can't run a complicated Web site, it is incapable of managing a complicated policy.

The New York Times

Cruel predictions under my blog yesterday of a T5-like utter fiasco will, I trust, prove unfounded, but we have experienced a temporary technical hiccup with the makeover of Cif.

The Guardian - Opinion

Despite a technical hiccup that temporarily prevented some people from reserving tickets to the 9/11 Memorial when it opens to the public, 5,000 passes were distributed within the first hour after the ticket system opened at 9 this morning.

The New York Times

After she calmly withstood a technical hiccup in the start of her music, and once she effortlessly landed a triple lutz-double toe combination seconds into her program, Nikodinov flowed through her routine with the grace of a veil falling through the air.

The New York Times - Sports

The reports began to trickle in earlier that day by users as they tried to determine whether the instant messenger was being intentionally disrupted or if it was just a technical hiccup.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Again, we apologize for the technical hiccups that may have wiped out some comments.

The New York Times

British Energy's share price plunged after a flurry of bad news about financial and technical hiccups.

The Economist

Throughout the recital Ms. Hedlund's technical hiccups — slips in intonation, patches of rough tone, unintentionally sounded strings — distracted, each ever so slightly, from the musical line.

The New York Times - Arts

The Dark and Demon's Souls games - even Bloodborne, to an extent - suffered with some technical hiccups that could, sometimes, spoil the fun.

The Guardian - Tech

The filing highlights Nasdaq's missteps on listing day, effectively blaming the stock's early movements on the exchange's technical hiccups.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a minor technical issue, use "technical hiccup" to downplay the severity, but ensure context clarifies the specific problem for clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "technical hiccup" in highly formal or critical reports. Opt for more precise and professional terms like "system malfunction" or "operational error" to maintain a serious tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "technical hiccup" functions as a noun phrase, typically used as a subject or object in a sentence. Ludwig's examples show it often describes minor disruptions in systems or processes.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Tech

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

10%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "technical hiccup" is a grammatically correct and commonly used term to describe a minor, temporary technical malfunction or disruption. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in written English. While understandable across various contexts, it's most frequently found in News & Media and Tech-related articles. For formal reports or critical documentation, more precise terms may be preferred. Despite its relatively informal tone, "technical hiccup" effectively downplays the severity of technical issues while maintaining clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

technical difficulty

Replaces "hiccup" with a more general term for a problem.

minor technical problem

Specifies the scale and nature of the issue more explicitly.

slight technical fault

Uses "fault" to emphasize a flaw in the system.

temporary technical issue

Highlights the temporary nature of the problem.

brief technical setback

Emphasizes the hindering aspect of the problem, but only for a short time.

fleeting technical snag

Uses a more informal term, "snag", to describe the issue.

minor system glitch

Focuses on the system aspect and uses "glitch" as a synonym for "hiccup".

small technical error

Replaces "hiccup" with the more formal "error".

momentary technical disruption

Highlights the disruptive nature of the event.

passing technical anomaly

Uses more formal and scientific terminology.

FAQs

What does "technical hiccup" mean?

A "technical hiccup" refers to a minor, temporary malfunction or disruption in a technical system or process. It suggests a problem that is not severe and is expected to be resolved quickly.

What can I say instead of "technical hiccup"?

You can use alternatives like "technical difficulty", "minor technical problem", or "slight technical fault" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "technical hiccup" in a formal report?

While "technical hiccup" is understandable, it might be too informal for a highly formal report. In such cases, consider using more professional alternatives like "system malfunction" or "operational error".

How to use "technical hiccup" in a sentence?

You might say, "The presentation experienced a "technical hiccup" when the projector briefly lost connection" or "Despite a "technical hiccup" during the software update, the system is now running smoothly."