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Difficulty - Difficult Challenges

Explore English idioms regarding difficult challenges with examples like "herculean task" and "like herding cats".

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English idioms related to Difficulty
like pulling teeth

used to refer to something that is inexplicably difficult

Ex: Getting any useful information from the company was like pulling teeth.
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teething (problems|troubles)

problems that a person encounters in the early stages of a project or activity

Ex: There were teething problems with the training program, but the staff liked it overall.
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like Chinese arithmetic

said of something that is very complex or difficult for one understands or work with

Ex: The software's pricing system is like Chinese arithmetic.
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to [be] murder
to be murder
[phrase]

(of a task) to be very difficult or almost impossible to do or complete

Ex: Finding a taxi in the rain was murder.
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uphill battle

a difficult fight or challenge that requires a lot of effort and determination

Ex: Changing the company culture has been an uphill battle from day one .
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herculean task

a task or challenge that requires an immense amount of effort, strength, or endurance to accomplish

Ex: Building the database from scratch will be a herculean task.
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heavy going
heavy going
[phrase]

a difficult and challenging situation or task that requires significant effort to overcome or complete

Ex: The meeting was heavy going because every decision needed approval from three departments.
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a (tough|hard) row to hoe

a situation that causes difficulties for one

Ex: Running a restaurant in this economy is a tough row to hoe.
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to [bite] off more than {sb} (can|could) chew

to attempt to do something that is beyond one's capability

Ex: The startup bit off more than it could chew by expanding into ten countries in one year.
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(as|) red as a cherry

turning really red in the face because of doing a lot of physical activities

Ex: He pushed the bike up the hill and arrived red as a cherry.
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like herding cats

used to describe a job or task that is too difficult or challenging

Ex: Coordinating everyone across three time zones felt like herding cats.
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draft-mule work

the hardest or most boring part of a task or job

Ex: He handled the draft-mule work quietly while the others presented the results .
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the deep end
the deep end
[phrase]

a situation that is very difficult because one is not prepared to deal with it

Ex: The promotion sounded exciting, but it put her straight in the deep end.
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to [shoot] {one's} bolt

to utilize one's final and decisive efforts, often in a critical moment

Ex: If we spend the whole budget now, we'll have shot our bolt before the real campaign begins.
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