Talking about Difficulty in English

Talking About Difficulty in English (Vocabulary & Idioms)

Hello English learners 👋 Welcome to a new lesson.

Talking about difficulty is an essential skill in English. Whether you are describing a challenging exam, a demanding job, or a personal struggle, English offers a wide range of vocabulary and idiomatic expressions to help you express yourself accurately and naturally.

This topic is especially useful for B2 First (FCE) and C1 Advanced (CAE) learners. In writing tasks, you may need to describe problems, challenges, or obstacles. In speaking exams, you are often asked to talk about difficult experiences, pressure, or overcoming problems.

In this lesson, you’ll learn adjectives, common expressions, and idioms used to talk about difficulty, with clear meanings and natural example sentences.

Adjectives for Talking About Difficulty

Challenging

Meaning: difficult and demanding, but often in a positive or motivating way.

• Preparing for the exam was challenging, but I learned a lot.
• The debate competition was challenging yet rewarding.

Demanding

Meaning: requiring a lot of effort, attention, or energy.

• The job is mentally and physically demanding.
• Parenting can be extremely demanding.

Tough

Meaning: difficult to handle or deal with.

• She faced a tough decision between two job offers.
• The interview was tough, but he was well prepared.

Strenuous

Meaning: requiring great physical or mental effort.

• Training for the marathon was strenuous.
• The hike was long and strenuous.

Arduous

Meaning: very difficult and involving continuous effort over time.

• Writing the thesis was an arduous process.
• Completing the project proved to be an arduous task.

Intricate

Meaning: very detailed or complex and difficult to understand.

• The puzzle was incredibly intricate.
• She explained the intricate details of the plan.

Daunting

Meaning: appearing difficult or frightening before you start.

• Moving abroad alone felt daunting at first.
• The task seemed daunting, but we broke it into steps.

Gruelling

Meaning: extremely tiring or exhausting.

• The training schedule was gruelling.
• He worked gruellling hours for months.

Formidable

Meaning: very difficult because of strength, size, or seriousness.

• The team faced formidable competition.
• Climbing the mountain was a formidable challenge.

Useful Expressions for Talking about Difficulty

These phrases are very common in spoken English and exam answers.

• I found it hard to concentrate.
• Many students struggle with grammar at first.
• She had a hard time understanding the instructions.
• We had to push through several obstacles.
• They overcame many obstacles to succeed.
• The team faced difficulties during the project.
• He finds it challenging to manage his time.
• She had to deal with repeated setbacks.
• They took on a tough challenge.
• Scientists are grappling with complex issues.

Idioms About Difficulty

Bite off more than you can chew

Meaning: take on more than you can handle.

• She bit off more than she could chew by accepting too many tasks.
• He realised he had bitten off more than he could chew.

Throw in the towel

Meaning: give up because something is too difficult.

• After many failed attempts, he threw in the towel.
• Despite setbacks, they refused to throw in the towel.

Up to the challenge

Meaning: capable of dealing with a difficult situation.

• She felt she was up to the challenge.
• He proved he was up to the challenge by finishing the race.

In over your head

Meaning: involved in something too difficult for you.

• He felt in over his head in his new role.
• She realised she was in over her head.

Take the bull by the horns

Meaning: face a problem directly and bravely.

• She took the bull by the horns and addressed the issue.
• He decided to take the bull by the horns.

Between a rock and a hard place

Meaning: faced with two equally difficult choices.

• He was between a rock and a hard place.
• The manager felt caught between a rock and a hard place.

Face the music

Meaning: accept the consequences of your actions.

• He had to face the music after missing the deadline.
• She knew she would eventually face the music.

Weather the storm

Meaning: survive a difficult period.

• The company managed to weather the storm.
• They worked together to weather the storm.

Up against the wall

Meaning: in a desperate situation with few options.

• With the deadline approaching, they were up against the wall.
• The family found themselves up against the wall financially.

In hot water

Meaning: in trouble or facing difficulties.

• He got in hot water for missing the deadline.
• The company landed in hot water after the scandal.

Final thought

Being able to talk about difficulty clearly and naturally shows range, precision, and maturity in English. These adjectives, expressions, and idioms are especially valuable for exam speaking, essays, and real-life communication.

Practise using them in short stories, opinion paragraphs, and personal examples. The more often you use this language, the more confident and advanced your English will sound.

Learn idioms about hope and expectation here

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