Difficult Challenges: English Vocabulary List

used to refer to something that is inexplicably difficult

"Getting him to talk is like pulling teeth."

"Getting him to talk about his feelings is like pulling teeth slow and very painful."

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

"Our new company has some teething problems."

"The new software has some teething problems but the developers are working hard to fix them as quickly as possible."

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

"This tax form is like Chinese arithmetic to me."

"Trying to understand the tax laws is like Chinese arithmetic confusing and impossible for most people."

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

"This task is murder."

"This hot weather is murder when you are trying to work in an office without any air conditioning at all."

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

"The team faced an uphill battle."

"The team faced an uphill battle after losing their best player to injury in the first game."

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

"Cleaning the garage was a herculean task."

"Cleaning the garage was a herculean task and took the entire weekend to complete."

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

"This task is heavy going."

"Climbing that steep, icy mountain was heavy going, demanding every ounce of his strength and determination."

a situation that causes difficulties for one

"It is a tough row to hoe."

"Teaching in an underfunded school is a tough row to hoe but the dedicated teachers do their best."

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

"He bit off too much."

"Taking on three major projects simultaneously, he clearly bit off more than he could chew."

used to refer to a situation in which one becomes extremely angry, causing one's face to turn red

"He was red as cherry."

"After the argument, his face was as red as a cherry from embarrassment and anger."

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

"Organizing a class trip is like herding cats."

"Organising a team of volunteers is like herding cats because everyone wants to do something different."

the hardest or most boring part of a task or job

"The interns did all the draft-mule work."

"The interns did all the draft mule work while the senior staff took credit for the project."

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

"He was thrown in at the deep end on his first day."

"The new manager was thrown in at the deep end on his first day without any proper training or support."

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

"He shot his bolt early."

"After months of preparation, the athlete shot his bolt in the final race and won."

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

"He was red as a cherry."

"After sprinting up the steep hill in the summer heat, the hiker's face turned as red as a cherry from exertion."