tall order
16
6.9
- noun
- Informal
:
reto
- Training for a marathon in just three months is a tall order for many beginners.
- indeed a tall order
This is rather a, you know, tall order, you might say.
- This is rather a, you know, tall order, you might say.
- As you can imagine, buying gifts for Josh is a tall order.
- Tracing pathological behavior back to its root molecular causes is going to be a tall order.
- And you may disagree or agree with how he's trying to do that, but maintaining peace in a city poised to explode is a is a tall order.
- And that may seem like a tall order for folks listening to this, but I don't think you or I are saying attack everything now.
- So now, tall order, do you have that idea?
- And so I'm like trying real hard to meet those expectations, but that's pretty tall order.
- But what I am look hoping for for survivors of narcissistic abuse is actually a rather tall order.
Examples
-
Although all these initiatives are tall orders, given the potential benefits, they are well worth a try.
Academic text (2011) -
Furthermore, disrupting shipping in this waterway is a tall order.
Academic text (2007) -
This is a very tall order.
-
I know it's a tall order, but we have to start somewhere.
Blog text (29) -
For all but the most secure investors, getting funding can be a very tall order.
Blog text (30) -
- In practical terms, raising nine kids, directing 50 films, not to mention the plays, seems like a tall order.
-
Renewing diplomacy in the Middle East will be a tall order for Obama.
Academic text (2009) -
He's given us a tall order that is tough, if not impossible, to humanly fulfill.
Blog text (30) -
It's a tall order, by golly, but this able young monarch, one of Europe's most eligible royal bachelors, seems determined to show the world there's more to life than guns and warfare.
-
Completing this project on time is a tall order for our small team.
Synonyms
29
3.4
A difficult task that needs a lot of effort
25
6.6
A difficult task that needs a lot of effort to succeed
14
2.1
A large, important task that takes a lot of time and effort
4
5.3
A situation or task that is hard to do
3
6.1
A difficult standard to reach
3
7.2
A task that is so difficult people think it cannot be done
2
6.8
A difficult task that needs a lot of effort
1
5.2
A very difficult task that you must overcome
1
6.4
A task that is very hard to do
1
5.9
A very large and difficult job that needs a lot of time and effort
A difficult task that takes a long time and a lot of effort
A very difficult task that needs a lot of effort
A very large, difficult project that needs a lot of time and many people
A very large and difficult task that is hard to do
Antonyms
How Difficult
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'tall' is used metaphorically to mean 'large/demanding' and combined with 'order' (a request) yields the sense 'a difficult request', so there is a partial compositional link between the constituents and the overall meaning. However, this figurative extension (height → difficulty/size) is not strictly literal or universally predictable for a B1 learner who only knows the basic senses, so prior exposure or explanation is often needed.
Etymology
The phrase tall order may come from imagining an order that is so tall or large it is hard to reach or fill, like a very high stack of goods. That's why it now means 'very difficult' or 'hard to do'.