Causing Difficulty: English Vocabulary List

a person or thing that causes persistent annoyance, trouble, or inconvenience

"This broken printer is a pain in the ass."

"Dealing with the broken printer every morning is a real pain in the ass for everyone in the office."

a situation in which an individual or organization faces negative consequences or difficulties as a result of their own achievements or accomplishments

"He became a victim of his own success and burned out."

"The small bakery became a victim of its own success when it could not keep up with customer demand."

a person or thing that is very annoying or troublesome

"He is a pain."

"Dealing with all these endless bureaucratic forms has become a real pain in the neck for me."

to start becoming a source of trouble or worry

"His behavior is beyond a joke."

"The constant noise from the construction site has gone beyond a joke and is seriously affecting our daily lives."

to not let someone do something or to prevent something from getting done by causing problems

"Don't get in the way."

"Her constant interruptions got in the way of the team finishing the project on time."

a task that needs a great amount of time and effort to finish

"This project is a long haul."

"Building a successful business from scratch is a long haul, requiring patience, dedication, and consistent effort."

something that prevents the progress or occurrence of something

"Lack of funds was the stumbling block."

"Lack of funds was the stumbling block and the project was canceled because of insufficient budget."

to exhaust one mentally or physically in order to be done or achieved

"Caring for my sick mother took a lot out of me."

"Caring for her sick mother took a lot out of her and she needed a long holiday to recover properly."

the final and decisive event or action that pushes someone beyond their tolerance or patience, leading to a significant reaction or decision

"That was the straw."

"After weeks of constant delays and poor communication, the final straw was when they lost my luggage entirely."

a problem that is in no way easy to solve or get rid of

"His gambling debt is a monkey on his back."

"His gambling addiction became a monkey on his back that he could not get rid of no matter how hard he tried."

used to refer to a task or activity that is completely pointless and illogical

"Trying to change his mind is like kicking dead whales down the beach."

"Trying to get this project approved by the committee is like kicking dead whales down the beach impossible and exhausting."

to engage in manual work, particularly one that is exhausting or of high difficulty

"The CEO is not afraid to get his hands dirty."

"The CEO is not afraid to get his hands dirty and often works alongside the factory workers on the production line."

a person or thing that is problematic and hard to deal with

"The dog is thorn."

"The constant noise from the construction site next door has become a persistent thorn in my side for weeks."

a collection of problems that are caused by something

"The chill wind of change arrived."

"The company felt the chill wind of recession when sales dropped by forty percent in just three months."

an inescapable problem or responsibility that proves too much for one to bear

"Debt is a burden."

"Taking on the responsibility of caring for his ailing parents became a heavy milestone around his neck."

a problem that becomes more difficult to deal with the more one tries to solve it

"This problem is tricky."

"The complex legal dispute over the inheritance quickly turned into a tar baby, with each attempt to resolve it only creating more complications."

one of several difficulties happening after one another that finally makes it intolerable for someone to continue something

"Your lateness is the straw that breaks the camel's back."

"The third late delivery was the straw that broke the camel back and the customer cancelled the contract."

to be overwhelmed or completely absorbed by a specific thing, experience, or emotion

"Drowning in work now."

"After the death of her husband she was drowned in grief and could not function normally for many months afterwards."

to engage in manual work, particularly one that is exhausting or of high difficulty

"Let's get our hands dirty."

"The volunteers were eager to get their hands dirty with the difficult construction work."