Idiom Topics

  • The Ubiquitous Essentials

    10
    • On the other hand
    • At the end of the day
    • In the long run
    • Bear in mind
    • A piece of cake
    • Keep an eye on
    • Out of the blue
    • Rule of thumb
    • So far, so good
    • Behind the scenes

  • Everyday Casual & Workplace

    10
    • Under the weather
    • Call it a day
    • Up in the air
    • Wrap your head around
    • Break the ice
    • Get out of hand
    • Go the extra mile
    • Touch base
    • Hit the nail on the head
    • Cut corners

  • Problem Solving & Interaction

    10
    • See eye to eye
    • Read between the lines
    • Take it with a grain of salt
    • Get the hang of it
    • Give the benefit of the doubt
    • The elephant in the room
    • Hit the ground running
    • Play it by ear
    • Bite the bullet
    • Sit on the fence

  • Decisions & Perspectives

    9
    • Jump on the bandwagon
    • Cross that bridge when we come to it
    • The best of both worlds
    • A blessing in disguise
    • Once in a blue moon
    • Pull someone's leg
    • Miss the boat
    • Better late than never
    • Get your act together

  • Colorful & Traditional

    10
    • Spill the beans
    • Let the cat out of the bag
    • Bite off more than you can chew
    • Go back to the drawing board
    • Barking up the wrong tree
    • Actions speak louder than words
    • A penny for your thoughts
    • Break a leg
    • Hit the sack
    • Beat around the bush

  • Academic & Formal Discourse

    10
    • Bear fruit
    • Pave the way
    • Shed light on
    • Go hand in hand
    • Tip the scales
    • Fly in the face of
    • Bring to the table
    • Turn a blind eye
    • Draw a blank
    • State of the art

  • Emotions & Reactions

    10
    • Over the moon
    • Down in the dumps
    • On edge
    • Blow off steam
    • Keep your cool
    • Drive someone up the wall
    • On cloud nine
    • A weight off my shoulders
    • At your wits' end
    • Thrilled to bits

  • Effort, Success, & Failure

    10
    • Start from scratch
    • Pass with flying colors
    • Fall flat
    • Go down the drain
    • Keep your head above water
    • Pay off
    • Throw in the towel
    • Make headway
    • Uphill battle
    • Back to square one

  • Time, Speed, & Urgency

    10
    • Beat the clock
    • At the eleventh hour
    • Around the clock
    • In the nick of time
    • Drag your feet
    • Time flies
    • Make up for lost time
    • Call time on
    • Ahead of the curve
    • On the spur of the moment

  • Resources, Money, & Value

    10
    • Make ends meet
    • Foot the bill
    • Break the bank
    • Tighten your belt
    • Bang for your buck
    • A drop in the ocean
    • Make a killing
    • On a shoestring budget
    • Worth your weight in gold
    • Pay top dollar

Uphill battle

Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "Uphill battle" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourEffort, Success, & Failure collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.

Effort, Success, & Failure

Uphill battle

Uphill battle
A very difficult task or struggle that requires an enormous amount of effort over a long period of time to achieve success.
History & Origin

The idiom originates from military strategy, where forces attacking from a lower position had to fight against gravity, muddy terrain, and enemies holding the high ground. Historically, holding the 'high ground' provided a massive tactical advantage, making any assault from below an incredibly exhausting and perilous endeavor. Over time, this literal tactical nightmare evolved into a metaphor for any grueling, non-military struggle.

Examples
Workplace Email

Securing the budget approval from the board will be an uphill battle, but if we present strong ROI data, we might pull it off.

Casual Conversation

Trying to convince my parents to let me take a gap year is going to be an uphill battle.

Academic Writing

Developing countries often face an uphill battle when trying to implement strict environmental regulations without harming local industries.

News/Media

The underdog candidate faces an uphill battle in tomorrow's election, trailing by fifteen points in the latest polls.

Formal Speech

Rebuilding this community after the disaster has been an uphill battle, but your resilience has proven that no peak is insurmountable.

Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?

A. After winning the lottery, Sarah found herself in an uphill battle to spend all her new money.

B. The team faced an uphill battle to win the championship after their star player was injured in the first round.

C. I had a very relaxing weekend because it was an uphill battle from Friday to Sunday night.

D. She easily finished her homework in five minutes, meaning the assignment was quite an uphill battle.