15+ Idioms for Difficult Task You Should Know! Download Free PDF Here

Learning English becomes much easier and more fun when you understand idioms, especially those used to describe a difficult task. Idioms add color to language, help you sound more natural, and boost your confidence in speaking and writing. They are widely used in exams, daily conversations, and competitive tests, making them important for every learner. In this blog, we provide 11+ useful idioms for “difficult task,” along with meanings and examples, so students can easily remember and use them in real life. You can also download a free PDF to revise these idioms anytime. Improving your idiom knowledge is a simple step that can greatly strengthen your English communication skills.

What are Idioms?

Idioms are phrases or expressions whose meanings cannot be understood by reading the individual words alone. Instead, they carry a special, non-literal meaning that is commonly understood by native speakers. These expressions come from history, culture, daily life, and shared experiences, which is why idioms often sound unusual or humorous when taken literally.

For example, “spill the beans” does not refer to beans at all, it means revealing a secret. Similarly, “once in a blue moon” has nothing to do with the moon turning blue, it means something that happens very rarely. Idioms help speakers express ideas in a more creative, natural, and expressive way. They add style to communication and make both spoken and written English more interesting.

Idioms are used everywhere, including movies, songs, newspapers, classrooms, and even competitive exams. Many English tests, such as IELTS, TOEFL, and state board exams, include idioms to check a learner’s understanding of real-world English. Learning idioms improves your vocabulary, makes conversations sound fluent, and helps you understand native speakers more easily. In simple words, idioms are powerful tools that make language richer, clearer, and more enjoyable.

List of 15+ Idioms for Difficult Tasks

Here is a detailed list of 15 powerful idioms used to describe difficult tasks, along with their meanings, examples, and situations where they are commonly used:

1. A Tough Nut to Crack

Meaning: A problem, situation, or person that is extremely difficult to handle or solve.
Example: “This physics numerical is a tough nut to crack even after watching tutorials.”
Context: Used for difficult subjects, puzzles, complex issues, or stubborn people.

2. Move Mountains

Meaning: To achieve something that seems impossible or extremely difficult.
Example: “With months of practice, she finally moved mountains by winning the state-level exam.”
Context: Used to appreciate determination, hard work, and achieving big goals.

3. An Uphill Battle

Meaning: A task filled with struggles, setbacks, and resistance.
Example: “Convincing everyone to adopt new rules felt like an uphill battle for the team.”
Context: Used for projects, changes, exams, group work, or anything with many obstacles.

4. Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

Meaning: To take on a task that is too big or difficult to complete.
Example: “He bit off more than he could chew by promising to manage five school events alone.”
Context: Used when someone overcommits or takes too many responsibilities.

5. No Bed of Roses

Meaning: Something that is not easy, comfortable, or smooth.
Example: “Life in a hostel is no bed of roses because students must manage everything on their own.”
Context: Used for challenging journeys, responsibilities, or stressful situations.

6. Run Into a Brick Wall

Meaning: To face a barrier that suddenly stops progress.
Example: “We ran into a brick wall when our software stopped working right before submission.”
Context: Used for academic projects, business plans, teamwork, or research issues.

7. Baptism by Fire

Meaning: A person’s first experience of a very challenging task.
Example: “Organizing the annual day on short notice was her baptism by fire.”
Context: Used when someone faces tough tasks for the first time.

8. The Heat Is On

Meaning: The pressure or stress level is increasing while doing a difficult task.
Example: “The heat was on as the exam date got closer and the syllabus felt incomplete.”
Context: Used during deadlines, exams, competitions, and high-pressure situations.

9. At Your Wits’ End

Meaning: Completely confused or distressed, unsure what to do next.
Example: “I was at my wits’ end trying to fix the laptop before the online test.”
Context: Used when someone feels frustrated, stuck, or helpless.

10. A Herculean Task

Meaning: A job that needs great strength, time, or energy—almost beyond normal capacity.
Example: “Cleaning the entire school ground after the festival felt like a Herculean task.”
Context: Used for very large, exhausting, or extremely difficult work.

11. Go the Extra Mile

Meaning: To put in extra effort beyond what is expected.
Example: “She went the extra mile by adding charts and facts to improve her project.”
Context: Used when someone works hard, shows dedication, or aims for excellence.

12. Trial and Error

Meaning: Learning or solving something by making mistakes and correcting them.
Example: “Learning guitar was a trial-and-error process, but he improved slowly.”
Context: Used for skills, experiments, studies, cooking, and creative tasks.

13. The Long Haul

Meaning: A task or process that takes a lot of time, energy, and patience.
Example: “Preparing for medical entrance exams is a long haul requiring daily effort.”
Context: Used for long-term goals, competitive exams, or big projects.

14. A Steep Learning Curve

Meaning: Something difficult to learn at the beginning because it requires new skills or knowledge.
Example: “Switching to advanced editing software had a steep learning curve.”
Context: Used for technology, new subjects, jobs, tools, or skills.

15. Burning the Midnight Oil

Meaning: Staying awake late into the night to complete something difficult.
Example: “Students often burn the midnight oil before board exams.”
Context: Used in studies, deadlines, office tasks, and urgent work.

16. An Uphill Battle

Meaning: A task full of challenges and obstacles.
Example: “Improving discipline in the class was an uphill battle for the teacher.”
Context: Used when progress is slow and requires continuous effort.

17. Biting Off More Than You Can Chew

Meaning: Taking on more work than you can handle.
Example: “He bit off more than he could chew by managing two events at once.”
Context: Used when someone overestimates their capabilities.

18. Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Meaning: Stuck between two difficult choices.
Example: “She was between a rock and a hard place—either miss her exam or miss her interview.”
Context: Used in tough decision-making situations.

19. A Tough Nut to Crack

Meaning: A difficult problem or person.
Example: “The riddle was a tough nut to crack for everyone.”
Context: Used for complex issues or stubborn people.

20. Walking on Thin Ice

Meaning: Being in a risky situation where one mistake can lead to trouble.
Example: “After repeated warnings, he was walking on thin ice with the principal.”
Context: Used when someone is close to getting into trouble.

Also Read: 50+ Idioms and Phrases Questions | Verbal Ability

21. In Hot Water

Meaning: In trouble due to a mistake.
Example: “He got in hot water for not completing the project on time.”
Context: Used for facing consequences or scolding.

22. Climb a Steep Hill

Meaning: Facing a task that is hard from the start.
Example: “Learning advanced programming felt like climbing a steep hill.”
Context: Used for difficult new skills or subjects.

23. Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire

Meaning: Moving from a bad situation to an even worse one.
Example: “He changed teams to reduce pressure but ended up out of the frying pan and into the fire.”
Context: Used when decisions unintentionally worsen situations.

24. Up a Creek Without a Paddle

Meaning: In a difficult situation with no help or solution.
Example: “When the charger stopped working during the test, he was up a creek without a paddle.”
Context: Used for helpless or stuck situations.

25. Like Pulling Teeth

Meaning: Something extremely difficult, slow, or frustrating.
Example: “Getting him to submit his homework was like pulling teeth.”
Context: Used when a task needs a lot of pressure or patience.

26. A Tough Row to Hoe

Meaning: A challenging situation requiring hard work.
Example: “Starting their business was a tough row to hoe for the siblings.”
Context: Used for long, hard journeys requiring effort.

27. A Tall Order

Meaning: A task that is very difficult or nearly impossible to accomplish.
Example: “Finishing the chapter in one hour is a tall order.”
Context: Used when expectations are too high.

28. Slippery Slop

Meaning: A situation where one wrong step can lead to worse problems.
Example: “Missing homework regularly is a slippery slope toward poor grades.”
Context: Used as a warning about consequences.

29. Easier Said Than Done

Meaning: Sounds simple but is difficult in reality.
Example: “Quitting junk food is easier said than done.”
Context: Used when the idea is easier than the action.

30. It’s a Long Shot

Meaning: Something unlikely to succeed.
Example: “Winning the national competition was a long shot, but she tried anyway.”
Context: Used in competitions, goals, or risky attempts.

31. A Close Call

Meaning: A situation where a bad result was almost reached.
Example: “Catching the bus just seconds before it left was a close call.”
Context: Used for narrowly avoided failures or accidents.

32. A Hard Sell

Meaning: Something difficult to convince others about.
Example: “The new rules were a hard sell for the students.”
Context: Used when persuasion is difficult.

Also Read: Top 11 Idioms for Great You Should Know!

Exercises on Idiom for Difficult Task: Download Free PDF

Improve your understanding of idioms by solving these simple and fun practice questions. These exercises help students remember meanings through real-life situations.

Also Read: Top 10 Idioms for Help You Should Know!

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