Meaning & use
bureaucratic hassle
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseinformal
Annoying and complicated official rules or procedures that waste time and effort.
Grammar: Used as a countable noun phrase. Often appears with verbs like 'avoid', 'face', or 'deal with'.
Patterns
- avoid bureaucratic hassle
- face bureaucratic hassle
- a bureaucratic hassle
Getting a visa was a bureaucratic hassle with endless forms.
Small businesses often complain about bureaucratic hassle when applying for permits.
She decided to pay the fine to avoid the bureaucratic hassle of appealing.
Common combinations
- avoid bureaucratic hassle
- Many people hire an accountant to avoid bureaucratic hassle with taxes.
- face bureaucratic hassle
- Immigrants often face bureaucratic hassle when renewing their documents.
- unnecessary bureaucratic hassle
- The new online system was supposed to reduce unnecessary bureaucratic hassle.
- a lot of bureaucratic hassle
- There was a lot of bureaucratic hassle before we could start the project.
Synonyms and how they differ
- red tape
- More idiomatic and slightly more formal; it refers specifically to excessive rules and paperwork, not the annoyance itself.
- paperwork
- Neutral; it refers only to the documents, not the frustrating process.
- headache
- Informal and broader; it can mean any problem, not just official ones.
Opposites
Word family
- bureaucracy noun
- The system of official rules and procedures.
- bureaucrat noun
- An official who works in a bureaucracy.
- bureaucratic adjective
- Relating to a bureaucracy or its complicated rules.
Commonly confused: bureaucratic hassle or bureaucratic?
bureaucratic hassle vs bureaucratic
This is an adjective, while 'bureaucratic hassle' is a noun phrase. Do not say 'a bureaucratic hassle' to mean the system itself; it means the annoying experience.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'bureaucratic hassle' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Bureaucratic hassle' is a noun phrase meaning annoying official procedures. Sentence B uses it correctly as the object of 'avoided'. Sentence A contradicts the meaning, C uses it as a verb, and D confuses it with 'bureaucrat'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bureaucratic hassle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.