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large order

large order

1 6.4
A task that is very hard to do
  • noun
translation icon : gran pedido
  • Such a large order of highly lethal bullets leads to questions about these organizations' plans for the future.
  • placing a large order

Examples

  • They are currently filling a large order for units to be used in Oman in the oil fields.

    Blog text (15)
  • Are you able to provide enough inventory for a large order?

    Blog text (21)
  • If the trader places a large order to buy or sell, there may not be enough of the equity available.

    Blog text (2)
  • I recently placed quite a large order online for some clothing and jewelry from a site a friend of mine had used a few months back, a site some of you may have heard of...

    Blog text (33)
  • "My best suppliers, I do declare," he declared, signing a large order with a flourish.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Given the increased production capability, the A.O. Smith Corp. was able to fill large orders from Ford, Buick, and several other automobile manufacturers, which succeeded in speeding up auto production and product delivery time to an eager marketplace.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Even then, mass merchandisers like Spiegel, Montgomery Ward, and Sears demanded that manufacturers not only give them a special price on account of their large orders, but they required material standards over and above what was offered to the competition, as well as the right to return all unsold items, which they hadn't paid for ahead of time anyway because, in effect, the manufacturers were financing the enterprise.

    Blog text (21)
  • The restaurant staff prepared for a large order that would require extra help and longer hours to fulfill.

  • Completing a large order for the new client proved to be a challenge for the small team.

  • We need to ensure our supply chain is ready for the upcoming large order from the retailer.

Synonyms

tall order
vslarge order
  • Informal
16 6.9

A task that is very hard to do

is a demanding challenge used for general hard requirements
big project
vslarge order
14 2.1

A large, important task that takes a lot of time and effort

emphasizes challenge and hardship rather than importance or size
mammoth task
vslarge order
1 5.9

A very large and difficult job that needs a lot of time and effort

focuses on difficulty as a challenge rather than sheer size or complexity
behemoth of a project
vslarge order
7.5

A very large, difficult project that needs a lot of time and many people

stresses difficulty as a formidable challenge rather than scale or cost

How Difficult

mountain to climb
  • Informal
1 5.2
large order
1 6.4
challenging
183 4.4
routine
263 1.0
light work
  • Informal
3 1.0

Surface Forms

large order singular
large orders plural

Morphology

large + order

The sense 'a difficult or demanding task' is partly derivable from 'large' (big, substantial) plus 'order' (a request or task), so learners can infer 'a big request' but the specific pragmatic shift to 'formidable challenge' is a metaphorical extension not directly predictable. A B1 learner is likely to interpret it as a physically large purchase or request unless they have prior exposure to the idiomatic sense, so the phrase is only partly transparent.

Etymology

The phrase large order comes from shops: an order is a request for goods and a large order is many items that are hard to fill. That's why it now means 'a big, difficult task'.