Meaning & use
hard to spot
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
Difficult to see, notice, or find because it is small, hidden, or not obvious.
Grammar: Used after linking verbs like 'be', 'seem', 'look', or 'become'. It can describe a thing or a person: 'The stain is hard to spot.'
Patterns
- be hard to spot
- something is hard to spot
- hard to spot something
The tiny crack in the glass is hard to spot unless the light hits it.
From a distance, the bird is hard to spot among the leaves.
The mistake in the report was hard to spot at first glance.
Common combinations
- hard to spot the difference
- It's hard to spot the difference between the two pictures.
- hard to spot at first
- The error was hard to spot at first.
- hard to spot with the naked eye
- These stars are hard to spot with the naked eye.
Synonyms and how they differ
- difficult to see
- More direct; often used for physical visibility.
- easy to miss
- Focuses on the chance of not noticing; similar but slightly different emphasis.
Opposites
Word family
- spot verb
- To see or notice something.
Commonly confused: hard to spot or hard to say?
hard to spot vs hard to say
Means difficult to know or predict, not difficult to see.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'hard to spot' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Hard to spot' is a fixed phrase with 'to' + base verb. Option 1 adds an extra 'it' (wrong), option 2 omits 'to', and option 3 uses the -ing form incorrectly.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hard to spot”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.