with significant difficulty

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "with significant difficulty" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where something is accomplished, but only after facing considerable challenges or obstacles. Example: "She managed to complete the marathon with significant difficulty, pushing through the pain and exhaustion."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

The child was able to grasp objects and bring both hands to the midline, but with significant difficulty.

BMC Pediatrics

The trial was as inclusive as possible, but patients requiring urgent assessment, private patients and patients with significant difficulty communicating in English were excluded.

BMC Family Practice

At the 15-year follow-up, 43 (83%) patients could squat normally, 7 (13%) others could do it with slight difficulty and 2 patients (4%) could squat with significant difficulty.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Although in some previous in vitro studies [ 9, 28], the skin was stretched more largely, we selected the stretching amount of 23% because stretching of in vivo forehead skin perpendicular to the body axis more than 23% was with significant difficulty.

Biomedical Optics Express

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

The protein folding problem remains elusive, with significant difficulties still arising when modeling amino acid sequences lacking an identifiable template.

Trends in Biotechnology

The administration of local anesthetic before surgery to the great toe is often associated with significant difficulties, delaying surgery and increasing risk.

The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery

It is associated with significant difficulties with respect to monitoring.

Critical Care

Patients with significant difficulties in language expression or comprehension were excluded, as were those meeting the exclusion criteria applied to the normal population.

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

People diagnosed with schizophrenia have significant difficulty accurately recognising emotions expressed by others.

Schizophrenia Research

Studies concur in finding that females with XXX showed significant difficulties with arithmetic, with around 65% of females finding it difficult.

Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology

While these analogies are certainly noteworthy, there is a significant difficulty with the central claim.

SEP

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "with significant difficulty" when you want to convey that something was achieved but required substantial effort and faced notable obstacles. It adds more emphasis than simply saying something was "difficult".

Common error

Avoid using "with significant difficulty" repeatedly in close proximity. Vary your language to prevent the writing from becoming monotonous; consider using synonyms like "with great effort" or "after a hard time" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "with significant difficulty" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or verb phrase to describe the manner in which an action is performed. It indicates the degree of effort or challenge involved in the action, as shown by Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "with significant difficulty" is a grammatically correct adverbial phrase used to describe an action performed with considerable effort and challenge. Ludwig's analysis reveals it's most frequently used in scientific and news contexts. Alternatives such as "with great effort" or "with much struggle" can provide variety. While grammatically sound, overuse should be avoided to maintain writing clarity and avoid monotony. Ludwig AI confirms the phrase's validity and provides numerous examples to illustrate its usage.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

with considerable difficulty

Replaces "significant" with "considerable", emphasizing the amount of difficulty.

with great effort

Focuses on the effort expended rather than the difficulty itself.

with much struggle

Highlights the struggle involved in completing the task.

against all odds

Emphasizes overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

despite substantial obstacles

Emphasizes the presence of obstacles that were overcome.

laboriously

Expresses doing something in a way that requires a lot of time and effort

arduously

Expresses doing something in a way that is very difficult

with notable hardship

Highlights the presence of a notable hardship.

after a hard time

Indicates the achievement followed a period of difficulty.

with a lot of trouble

Indicates the achievement followed a series of problems.

FAQs

How can I use "with significant difficulty" in a sentence?

You can use "with significant difficulty" to describe how someone performed an action. For example: "She managed to complete the marathon "with significant difficulty", pushing through the pain and exhaustion."

What are some alternatives to "with significant difficulty"?

Alternatives include phrases like "with considerable difficulty", "with great effort", or "with much struggle", depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

Is it better to say "with significant difficulty" or "with great difficulty"?

Both "with significant difficulty" and "with great difficulty" are grammatically correct and very similar in meaning. The choice between them often comes down to personal preference or stylistic considerations.

What's the difference between "with significant difficulty" and "with slight difficulty"?

"With significant difficulty" implies a considerable amount of effort and obstacles were involved, while "with slight difficulty" suggests only a minor challenge was present. The degree of effort is the key difference.