very much difficult

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'very much difficult' is not correct in written English.
You could use the phrase 'very difficult' instead. Example sentence: "This math problem is very difficult to solve."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Wiki

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Some error are very much difficult to debug while other are comparatively easy.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

But if they were difficult when the global economy was humming, they are very much more difficult now that it is wobbling.

The Economist

Advertising professionals, by contrast, know that, frustratingly, it is very much more difficult than that.

The Guardian

Stern's response is diplomatic: "It would make things very much more difficult," he says.

The Guardian

If you are on low pay and not good at managing, being paid monthly makes things very much more difficult.

The Guardian - Money

You run the risk of derailing that recovery and it makes it very much more difficult to reduce the deficit..

The Guardian

This makes that debt very much more difficult to reschedule than was the case when sovereign debt preponderantly took the form of bank loans.Willem Buiter correctly notes that for Greece it is five minutes to midnight.

The Economist

However, methanol is very much more difficult to oxidise anodically than hydrogen, the more conventional anode fuel, and this has hampered development of commercial direct methanol fuel cells.

Catalysis Today

"For historical reasons, not just because of the Nazi past, but because of the Stasi past, this is a very much more difficult issue in the Federal Republic than it is in the United Kingdom, where we look back with pride on our long history of democracy".

BBC

These operations are very much more difficult and are accompanied with more risk from hemorrhage than are recent fractures.

Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research

"I think without this training, and their basic schooling, they would all still be living a very much more difficult life".

Unicef

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Opt for more grammatically accepted alternatives such as "very difficult" or "extremely difficult" to ensure clarity and maintain credibility in your writing.

Common error

Avoid placing "very much" directly before adjectives like "difficult". Instead, use "very" or stronger adverbs like "extremely" or "incredibly" to modify the adjective.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "very much difficult" attempts to function as an intensifier modifying an adjective. However, standard English grammar does not support this construction. Ludwig AI points out the phrase is not correct in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

34%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "very much difficult" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. Ludwig AI indicates that it's better to use phrases like "very difficult" or other alternatives such as "extremely difficult" or "incredibly challenging". While Ludwig provides a few examples where similar constructions appear, the consensus is that these are not the best choice for clear and credible writing. Therefore, opting for grammatically sound alternatives is recommended to maintain clarity and professionalism.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

extremely difficult

Replaces "very much" with a single, stronger adverb, enhancing clarity and grammatical correctness.

incredibly challenging

Substitutes "difficult" with "challenging", adding a nuanced perspective while maintaining the intensity.

particularly hard

Emphasizes the degree of difficulty with a slight shift in tone.

exceptionally tough

Replaces "difficult" with "tough", implying a more resilient or enduring challenge.

remarkably complex

Focuses on the intricacy and complicated nature of the difficulty.

notoriously arduous

Highlights the widely known and demanding nature of the difficulty.

exceedingly problematic

Shifts the focus to the troublesome aspects and potential issues caused by the difficulty.

quite strenuous

Emphasizes the effort and energy required due to the difficulty.

terribly intricate

Underscores the detailed and elaborate nature of the difficulty.

highly demanding

Highlights the high expectations and requirements associated with the difficult task.

FAQs

Is "very much difficult" grammatically correct?

No, "very much difficult" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. A more appropriate phrase would be "very difficult".

What's the difference between "very much difficult" and "very difficult"?

"Very much difficult" is not a standard construction, while "very difficult" is the correct and widely accepted way to express a high degree of difficulty.

How can I use "difficult" correctly in a sentence?

Use "difficult" with adverbs like "very", "extremely", or "incredibly". For instance, "This task is "extremely difficult"".

What are some alternatives to "very difficult"?

Alternatives include "incredibly challenging", "particularly hard", or "exceptionally tough" to convey similar levels of difficulty.