an uphill battle — a hard struggle
collocationC1IELTS 7+neutralcommon
a situation or task that is very difficult to achieve because there are many obstacles or strong opposition.
Say it like a native
Textbook Persuading them will be an extremely difficult and prolonged struggle.
Native Persuading them is going to be an uphill battle.
'An uphill battle/struggle' carries 'long, hard, against the odds' in one idiom.
Pattern: an uphill battle (to do something / for something)
In use
- Convincing the management to adopt the new policy turned out to be an uphill battle.daily life
- I believe reducing plastic waste is an uphill battle, because although people are aware of the problem, changing daily behaviour is extremely challenging.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ It was an uphill battle to convincing them.
✓ It was an uphill battle to convince them.
'An uphill battle TO + base verb', not 'to -ing'.
Common collocations
an uphill battle/struggle— face, to convince, against, still
Don't confuse it
Unlike simply saying 'a difficult task', 'an uphill battle' emphasizes that the process is long, tiring, and full of obstacles, not just hard work.