uphill battle
A highly difficult task or problem that requires a great amount of effort and determination.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Learning a new language is an uphill battle.”
“Trying to finish this project by tomorrow is an uphill battle, but we have to try.”
“Despite the candidate's tireless efforts to win over the voters, the campaign remained an uphill battle against the established political powers.”
- 01
fight a losing battle
To attempt a task or other endeavor in which there is no chance that it will succeed.
- 02
lose one's battle
To succumb to a serious illness.
- 03
pick one's battles
To involve oneself in disputes only if one is likely to win.
- 04
push water uphill
To try to achieve a goal despite huge resistance or nearly futile awkwardness, the task being an uphill battle.
- 05
win the battle, but lose the war
To achieve a portion of a goal, but fail to achieve the entire goal.
Last updated August 10, 2026