rough sledding
1
7.0
- noun
- Informal
:
tiempos difíciles
Examples
-
But it looks like really rough sledding.
-
It was rough sledding, though, too rough to turn into a habit.
Fiction book (1992) -
He faced some rough sledding while trying to set up his new business, but he was determined to persevere.
-
After losing her job unexpectedly, she knew she was in for rough sledding as she searched for new employment.
-
Many students encountered rough sledding during the pandemic, but they managed to adapt with resilience and hard work.
Synonyms
382
2.9
A period when someone has difficulty or trouble
134
3.1
A period when someone faces problems or a lot of stress
104
3.1
A period when people have many problems with money or daily life
10
8.1
A period when someone has many problems to deal with
4
5.3
A situation or task that is hard to do
4
5.7
A time with many problems
2
6.1
A time when someone has many problems and finds life difficult
1
3.9
A difficult time that is hard to get through
Antonyms
How Difficult
137
4.8
- Informal
4
5.3
- Informal
1
7.0
- Informal
19
3.7
- Informal
16
2.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'rough' (difficult) applied to 'sledding' (a literal activity) creates a metaphorical extension where 'sledding' represents how smoothly progress occurs; the meaning 'a period of difficulty' is inferable from the parts but only via a figurative mapping. Because the connection relies on metaphor and not straightforward compositionality, it is partly transparent but not fully predictable to a B1 learner without prior exposure.
Etymology
The expression rough sledding may come from the image of a sled moving over very bumpy snow, where sledding over rough ground is slow and hard. So, the phrase now means 'a period of difficulty' or 'hard times' that you can get through with effort.