How do you use "notoriously difficult" in a sentence?

English spelling is notoriously difficult to learn. The exam is notoriously difficult — only 30% of candidates pass. That intersection is notoriously difficult to navigate.

notoriously difficult

Q: What does "notoriously difficult" mean?

Famously and widely known to be very difficult 'Notoriously difficult' means something is well known for being hard. 'Notoriously' comes from 'notorious' (famous for something bad) and adds the sense that the difficulty is widely recognised. It also pairs with 'unreliable', 'bad', 'tricky', 'slow', and 'expensive'.

Collocation BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Neutral

Practice this with flashcards, quizzes & audio on WordLoci →

Meaning: Famously and widely known to be very difficult

出了名的困难

notoriamente difícil

悪名高いほど難しい

악명 높을 정도로 어려운

'Notoriously difficult' means something is well known for being hard. 'Notoriously' comes from 'notorious' (famous for something bad) and adds the sense that the difficulty is widely recognised. It also pairs with 'unreliable', 'bad', 'tricky', 'slow', and 'expensive'.

'notoriously difficult'意味着某事以困难而闻名。'notoriously'来自'notorious'（因坏事出名），增加了困难被广泛认知的含义。它还与'unreliable'、'bad'、'tricky'、'slow'和'expensive'搭配。

'Notoriously difficult' significa que algo es bien conocido por ser difícil. 'Notoriously' viene de 'notorious' (famoso por algo malo) y añade el sentido de que la dificultad es ampliamente reconocida. También se combina con 'unreliable', 'bad', 'tricky', 'slow' y 'expensive'.

「notoriously difficult」は難しいことで広く知られていることを意味します。「notoriously」は「notorious」（悪い意味で有名）に由来し、その難しさが広く認識されているという意味合いを加えます。「unreliable」「bad」「tricky」「slow」「expensive」とも組み合わせます。

'Notoriously difficult'는 어렵기로 널리 알려져 있다는 뜻입니다. 'notoriously'는 'notorious'(나쁜 것으로 유명한)에서 유래하며, 그 어려움이 널리 인식되어 있다는 의미를 더합니다. 'unreliable', 'bad', 'tricky', 'slow', 'expensive'와도 함께 쓰입니다.

Examples

English spelling is notoriously difficult to learn.
英语拼写出了名的难学。
La ortografía inglesa es notoriamente difícil de aprender.
英語のスペルは悪名高いほど学ぶのが難しいです。
영어 철자법은 악명 높을 정도로 배우기 어렵습니다.
The exam is notoriously difficult — only 30% of candidates pass.
这门考试出了名的难——只有30%的考生通过。
El examen es notoriamente difícil: solo aprueba el 30% de los candidatos.
その試験は悪名高いほど難しく、合格率はわずか30%です。
그 시험은 악명 높을 정도로 어려워서 합격률이 겨우 30%입니다.
That intersection is notoriously difficult to navigate.
那个十字路口出了名的难以通行。
Esa intersección es notoriamente difícil de atravesar.
あの交差点は悪名高いほど通行が難しいです。
그 교차로는 악명 높을 정도로 통행이 어렵습니다.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, education, description

Tone: warning

✓ Do Say

That subject is notoriously difficult.
那门科目出了名的难。
Esa asignatura es notoriamente difícil.
その科目は悪名高いほど難しいです。
그 과목은 악명 높을 정도로 어렵습니다.
The route is notoriously difficult in winter.
那条路线在冬天出了名的难走。
La ruta es notoriamente difícil en invierno.
その路線は冬場に悪名高いほど難しいです。
그 노선은 겨울에 악명 높을 정도로 어렵습니다.

✗ Don't Say

That subject is famously difficult. (acceptable but 'notoriously' is stronger and more natural for negative traits)
那门科目famously difficult。（虽然可以接受，但'notoriously'对于负面特征更强烈更自然）
Esa asignatura es famously difficult. (aceptable, pero 'notoriously' es más fuerte y natural para rasgos negativos)
その科目はfamouslyに難しいです。（使えますが、否定的な特性には「notoriously」の方が強く自然です）
그 과목은 famously difficult합니다. (사용 가능하지만 부정적인 특성에는 'notoriously'가 더 강하고 자연스럽습니다)
That subject is deeply difficult. (use 'notoriously' not 'deeply' with difficult)
那门科目deeply difficult。（difficult搭配'notoriously'而不是'deeply'）
Esa asignatura es deeply difficult. (se usa 'notoriously' y no 'deeply' con difficult)
その科目はdeeplyに難しいです。（difficultには「deeply」ではなく「notoriously」を使います）
그 과목은 deeply difficult합니다. (difficult에는 'deeply'가 아니라 'notoriously'를 사용합니다)

Origin & History

English intensifier collocation — 'notoriously' from Latin 'notorius' (well known) implies famous difficulty or negative reputation.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal