Struggles and Setbacks: English Vocabulary List

causing a lot of damage or harm

"His behavior is destructive."

"The destructive hurricane destroyed hundreds of homes and left thousands of people without electricity or clean water for weeks."

difficult to grasp mentally

"The answer is elusive."

"The elusive criminal managed to escape from the police three times and they still have not been able to catch him."

signifying a matter of deep concern

"The news is grave."

"The doctor had a grave expression on his face when he delivered the diagnosis and the patient knew that the news was not good."

not achieving the desired outcome or intended result

"This method is ineffective."

"The new advertising campaign was completely ineffective and the company saw no increase in sales during the entire quarter."

not wanted or considered unpleasant

"The result is undesirable."

"The undesirable side effects of the medication included nausea and drowsiness so the patient asked the doctor for a different prescription."

too intense or powerful to resist or manage effectively

"The support was overwhelming."

"The overwhelming support from the community helped the family rebuild their home after the devastating fire destroyed everything they owned."

without success or achieving the desired result

"He tried in vain to open the door."

"He tried in vain to open the door but it was locked from the inside and he had to call a locksmith for help."

to intentionally cause something or someone to fail or experience a negative outcome by creating specific conditions

"Poor planning dooms the entire project."

"The lack of funding could doom the project to failure before it even gets a chance to start."

a responsibility or task that causes hardship, stress, etc.

"Heavy burden on shoulders."

"Caring for an elderly parent can be a financial and emotional burden on adult children."

a failure to function or work properly

"Machine malfunction occurred."

"The software malfunction caused the entire computer system to crash losing important unsaved data permanently."

a mistake made because of forgetting to do or not noticing something

"Simple oversight caused error."

"The oversight in the contract allowed the company to terminate the agreement without any penalty."

a problem that gets in the way of a process or makes it worse

"Major setback delayed project."

"The injury was a major setback for the athlete who had trained for years for the Olympics."

an individual, team, etc. who is regarded as weaker compared to others and has little chance of success as a result

"Team is underdog."

"Everyone loves cheering for the underdog who wins against all expectations and stronger opponents."

to cause someone problems

"He gives me trouble."

"The noisy neighbors constantly give trouble to the entire apartment building by playing loud music late at night."

not yielding the expected result

"I pushed the door, but to no effect."

"He tried to fix the broken computer but to no effect because it was completely damaged."

despite a challenging or difficult situation

"He smiled in the face of danger."

"She remained calm in the face of danger and helped everyone escape safely."

causing a negative consequence or cost to someone or something in order to benefit another

"He succeeded at the expense of his health."

"He achieved success at the expense of his health because he worked too hard."

a principle stating that if there is a possibility for a bad thing to happen, it will happen

"Murphy's law says anything that can go wrong will go wrong."

"Murphy's law states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible time."

to be in a situation where one has to be careful about every decision they make because even one mistake can pose a great risk

"He walks a tightrope."

"Managing the company's finances during the recession felt like walking a tightrope, with every decision carrying significant risk."

very harmful or bad

"The result was disastrous."

"The disastrous consequences of the oil spill affected wildlife and fishing industries for many years after the accident occurred."

very bad or worrisome

"The situation is grave."

"The government expressed grave concern over the escalating international tensions and potential conflict."

not achieving the desired outcome or intended result

"The medicine is ineffective."

"The ineffective treatment did not improve the patient's condition and the doctors decided to try a different medication instead."

to fail to do something, particularly as a result of carelessness

"Do not neglect your dental health ever."

"Do not neglect your health by skipping regular checkups and ignoring small symptoms that could indicate a serious problem."

to cause a person or thing to come across as less significant

"His fame overshadows his brother's achievements."

"The tragic news of the accident overshadowed the positive achievements of the organization during the same period."

a failure in the progress or effectiveness of a relationship or system

"Their relationship had a breakdown."

"The constant arguments led to a complete breakdown in communication, making reconciliation seem impossible for the couple."

a horrible event that causes much suffering and damage

"The flood was a huge catastrophe."

"A catastrophe is a sudden and widespread disaster that causes immense suffering"

a situation that shows no signs of progress or improvement

"Road is dead end."

"His job was a dead end with no promotions or raises after several years of work."

a flaw, weakness, or shortcoming that reduces the effectiveness, quality, or completeness of something

"Vitamin deficiency causes problem."

"A vitamin D deficiency can cause weak bones and increase the risk of fractures."

a mistake or unsuccessful act

"That was a fail."

"If you fail to submit the assignment on time your final grade will be reduced significantly."

a reduction in size, amount, number, etc.

"A fall in prices."

"There was a significant fall in the company's profits during the last fiscal quarter."

a wrong move or act

"It was not my fault."

"The investigation revealed that the accident was not due to negligence but a mechanical fault."

a difficulty or problem that must be overcome in order to achieve something

"Overcome every hurdle."

"Learning a new language is difficult but the biggest hurdle is often fear of making mistakes."

the state or quality of being not useful, suitable, or convenient

"The flight delay was a minor inconvenience."

"The train delay was a minor inconvenience compared to missing the job interview entirely."

a situation with many problems or difficulties, caused particularly by someone who is careless

"The project became a mess."

"His room was such a mess that he could not find his keys for twenty minutes."

a minor accident that has no serious consequences

"Small mishap happened."

"Thanks to a minor mishap she spilled coffee all over her white shirt before the meeting."

circumstances that make it difficult to achieve something

"The odds are against us."

"Despite the overwhelming odds, the determined team managed to achieve victory against all expectations."

in a challenging, confrontational, or adversarial situation

"We are up against a strong team."

"Our team is up against a very strong opponent in the final match of the tournament."

to leave a place to be safe from a dangerous situation

"Police evacuate the building due to fire."

"The authorities ordered residents to evacuate the coastal area immediately because a dangerous hurricane was approaching rapidly."