hard to swallow
Meaning(s)
1. something that is difficult to believe or accept
Popularity
Medium
Professional
Medium
Social
How to Memorize
found something hard to swallow
Analysis
This phrase comes from the idiom 'a hard pill to swallow' meaning something difficult to accept or unbelievable. "The news of my brothers' criminal behaviour was hard to swallow." You will hear this used in social and professional situations.
Social Examples (Basic)
- After devoting so much time to writing her book, Sarah found the poor reviews hard to swallow.
- The fact that his best friend betrayed him was a hard truth to swallow.
- The story was so overly dramatic and fraught with inconsistencies that I found it very hard to swallow.
Professional Examples (Basic)
- The behaviour of senior employees that has been revealed in the past few weeks has been hard to swallow.
- The downturn in sales has been hard for us to swallow after trading successfully for so many years.