tricky to understand

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "tricky to understand" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when describing something that is difficult to comprehend or requires extra effort to grasp. Example: "The instructions for assembling the furniture were quite tricky to understand, leading to several mistakes during the process."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

23 human-written examples

This menace is tricky to understand.

The New York Times

However, the "Under 10" jibe was a little tricky to understand.

The Guardian - Sport

The concept of genetic drift can be pretty tricky to understand, but sweets make it much easier.

The Guardian

Whether he likes to talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be, I can't say for certain, because what De Botton (pictured) really likes to do is to philosophise about sex and for some of us less philosophical types, it can be a little tricky to understand what, exactly, he is saying at all.

The Guardian - Opinion

"It's been very tricky to understand where the car is," Button said.

BBC

This type gets tricky to understand because sometimes infrastructure and software vendors also offer platform services.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

37 human-written examples

"These are much trickier to understand," Dr. Brett said.

The New York Times - Health

As to where the overarching story is heading, that's trickier to understand as the action again flits between past and present, bouncing from Germany to France and Iraq.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

The categories are now easier to understand, but the music business has never been trickier to understand: Blame the new, tortured path from a listen to a royalty.

Los Angeles Times

Cummings is a tricky poet to understand.

The Economist

A tricky thing to understand is that most jobs in the United States are created in areas of the economy not exposed to global competition.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "tricky to understand", ensure the context clearly identifies what is causing the difficulty in understanding. Be specific to improve clarity for your audience.

Common error

Avoid using "tricky to understand" without specifying what exactly is tricky. Vague statements can confuse the reader. Provide context or examples to illustrate the difficulty.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "tricky to understand" functions as an adjectival phrase, modifying a noun (often implicit) to describe something that is difficult to comprehend or grasp. Ludwig highlights its correct usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Wiki

13%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Reference

3%

Encyclopedias

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "tricky to understand" is a common and grammatically correct expression used to describe something that presents comprehension difficulties. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is widely applicable across various contexts, particularly in news and media. While generally neutral in register, more formal alternatives like "difficult to comprehend" may be preferable in certain academic or professional settings. When employing this phrase, ensure you provide sufficient context to clarify what specifically is causing the difficulty, avoiding vague generalizations. The most frequent sources are The Guardian, Huffington Post, TechCrunch, Vice and BBC.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

difficult to comprehend

Replaces "tricky" with "difficult" offering a more formal tone.

hard to grasp

Uses "hard" instead of "tricky", emphasizing the effort required to understand.

challenging to comprehend

Substitutes "tricky" with "challenging", suggesting a stimulating difficulty.

not easy to understand

Presents the idea by negating the ease of understanding.

requires careful consideration to understand

Highlights the need for thoughtfulness in the understanding process.

presents comprehension difficulties

Emphasizes the difficulties encountered when trying to understand something.

obtuse to comprehend

Uses "obtuse" to indicate a lack of clarity making it difficult to understand.

abstruse to understand

Uses "abstruse", implying something is esoteric and hard to understand because it's complicated.

demands significant cognitive effort

Focuses on the mental exertion required for understanding.

complex in its understanding

Highlights the complexity involved in the process of understanding something.

FAQs

How can I use "tricky to understand" in a sentence?

Use "tricky to understand" to describe something that is difficult to grasp. For example: "The concept of quantum physics can be "tricky to understand" without a strong mathematical background."

What are some alternatives to "tricky to understand"?

You can use alternatives like "difficult to comprehend", "hard to grasp", or "challenging to comprehend" depending on the context.

Is "tricky to understand" formal or informal?

"Tricky to understand" is generally considered neutral but can lean towards informal. For more formal contexts, consider "difficult to comprehend" or "complex to understand".

What makes something "tricky to understand"?

Something might be "tricky to understand" due to its complexity, abstract nature, or lack of clear explanations. It implies that extra effort is needed to fully comprehend it.