Grammar fix
an uphill battle
a hard struggle
a situation or task that is very difficult to achieve because there are many obstacles or strong opposition.
collocationC1common
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- 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
Fix the pattern
Pattern: an uphill battle (to do something / for something)
WrongIt was an uphill battle to convincing them.
RightIt was an uphill battle to convince them.
'An uphill battle TO + base verb', not 'to -ing'.
Patternan uphill battle (to do something / for something)
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'An uphill battle/struggle' carries 'long, hard, against the odds' in one idiom.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
an uphill battle/strugglefaceto convinceagainststill
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.