tough to evaluate

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "tough to evaluate" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing something that is difficult to assess or judge, often due to complexity or ambiguity. Example: "The project's success is tough to evaluate without clear metrics in place."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

Fielding, in contrast, is devilishly tough to evaluate quantitatively.

The Economist

"It's tough to evaluate that performance," said Mark Wiedemaier, a special assistant to the Los Angeles Dodgers' general manager.

The New York Times - Sports

Reading apps are tough to evaluate, as a concept, partly because every app looks different and the technology is constantly changing.

The New Yorker

"Analyzing how the existing businesses are performing is very difficult, which makes it tough to evaluate management," said Michael Nathanson, a publishing industry analyst for Sanford C. Bernstein & Company.

The New York Times

It's tough to evaluate Chait's final claim, because he doesn't cite any centrists who thought Obama should expend political capital on a bigger stimulus or any liberals who opposed it.

The New York Times - Magazine

"We don't have human data to compare with, or really high-quality animal data," he says, adding that this makes it tough to evaluate the quality of the tests.

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

This latter pain manifestation is the most refractory condition to overcome for individuals coping with chronic cancer pain and among the toughest to evaluate in animal models.

Plosone

It's hard to evaluate.

The New Yorker

"Twitter is hard to evaluate.

Independent

Firefox OS is a tough project to evaluate.

TechCrunch

It is a tough problem to evaluate objectively real recording separation performance.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "tough to evaluate", ensure that the context clearly indicates what is being evaluated and why it presents difficulties. Provide specific reasons or examples to enhance clarity.

Common error

Avoid stating that something is "tough to evaluate" without explaining the specific challenges involved. Lack of context can make the statement vague and uninformative.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "tough to evaluate" functions as an adjectival phrase, modifying a noun or pronoun by describing a quality or characteristic—specifically, the difficulty involved in assessing something. Ludwig AI confirms that this phrase is usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "tough to evaluate" is a grammatically sound and commonly understood expression used to describe the difficulty in assessing or judging something. Ludwig AI affirms its correctness and usability. It appears most frequently in news and media contexts, indicating its relevance in public discourse. While alternatives like "difficult to assess" or "hard to judge" exist, "tough to evaluate" provides a slightly more emphatic tone. When using this phrase, ensure the context clarifies what is being evaluated and the specific challenges involved.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

difficult to assess

Replaces "tough" with "difficult" and "evaluate" with "assess", maintaining the core meaning.

hard to judge

Substitutes "tough" with "hard" and "evaluate" with "judge", offering a more direct alternative.

challenging to gauge

Replaces "tough" with "challenging" and "evaluate" with "gauge", indicating a difficulty in measuring or estimating.

not easy to measure

Uses a negative construction to express the difficulty in measurement.

complicated to understand

Focuses on the complexity that makes evaluation difficult.

presents evaluation challenges

Shifts the structure to emphasize the challenges involved in the evaluation process.

demands careful assessment

Highlights the need for thorough assessment due to the difficulty.

requires rigorous evaluation

Emphasizes the necessity of a strict and detailed evaluation.

not straightforward to analyze

Indicates that the analysis is complex and not simple.

difficult to quantify

Highlights the difficulty in expressing or measuring something numerically.

FAQs

What does it mean when something is described as "tough to evaluate"?

It means that assessing or judging the value, quality, or impact of something is "difficult", often due to complex factors or lack of clear metrics.

What are some alternatives to saying "tough to evaluate"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives such as "difficult to assess", "hard to judge", or "challenging to gauge".

How can I use "tough to evaluate" in a sentence?

You might say, "The success of the marketing campaign is tough to evaluate without detailed sales figures" or "The long-term effects of the policy are tough to evaluate at this early stage".

What makes something "tough to evaluate"?

Factors that can make something "tough to evaluate" include a lack of reliable data, the presence of subjective elements, conflicting opinions, and the complexity of the subject matter.