uphill
uphill — adjective
1. describing a route, surface, or stretch of ground that goes higher as you move a
describing a route, surface, or stretch of ground that goes higher as you move along it — for example, an uphill section of a hiking trail or a road rising into the mountains.
The uphill path to the temple was steep and covered with loose stones.
uphill + path describing terrain
Cyrus paused to catch his breath on the steep uphill section of the trail.
An uphill climb on a bicycle takes more effort than riding on flat ground.
The delivery driver used a lower gear on the uphill road to the village.
Nellie chose the uphill route because it offered wider views of the surrounding valley.
- downhill
the exact opposite — sloping downward
文法句型
uphill + noun (path, road, slope, trail, climb)
用法筆記
Commonly placed before nouns describing terrain or routes. Can also follow a linking verb (The first kilometre was uphill).
常見錯誤
2. describing a challenge, effort, or situation that demands a great deal of work a
describing a challenge, effort, or situation that demands a great deal of work and determination to overcome — for example, an uphill battle to save a failing company or an uphill struggle to change long-standing habits.
The new manager faced an uphill battle to turn the failing company around.
uphill + battle for a hard challenge
Convincing the board to accept the proposal was an uphill struggle from the start.
Rebuilding trust after the scandal proved to be an uphill task for the hospital's leadership.
For a small charity, raising money for the new shelter became an uphill fight.
Starting a business during a recession is always an uphill challenge for new entrepreneurs.
- arduous
more formal and suggests long, tiring effort
- tough
more informal and broader in meaning
- challenging
neutral in tone; often implies the difficulty is interesting rather than discouraging
- easy
requiring little effort
- effortless
seeming to need no work at all
文法句型
uphill + (battle / struggle / task / fight / climb)
用法筆記
Almost always appears before one of a small set of nouns: battle, struggle, task, fight, climb, or challenge. Rarely used with other nouns or predicatively.
常見錯誤
uphill — adverb
1. moving or looking towards the higher part of a slope — for example, walking uphi
moving or looking towards the higher part of a slope — for example, walking uphill to reach a viewpoint or driving uphill on a winding mountain road.
Élise and her cousins walked uphill for nearly an hour before reaching the viewpoint.
The old car struggled to move uphill on the narrow mountain road.
verb + uphill for direction of travel
Soraya ran uphill every morning to build strength for the coming marathon.
Ryo pushed the bicycle uphill because the gravel road was too steep to ride.
Water from the spring flows uphill through a system of pipes and electric pumps.
- upward
general direction, not specifically on a slope
- up the slope
longer phrase that explicitly names the surface
- downhill
the opposite direction — down the slope
文法句型
verb + uphill
uphill + prepositional phrase
常見錯誤
2. moving forward despite obstacles or unfavourable conditions — for example, a pro
moving forward despite obstacles or unfavourable conditions — for example, a project going uphill after budget cuts or negotiations pushing uphill when neither side will compromise.
The team has been moving uphill ever since their best player got injured.
figurative: moving uphill = facing growing difficulty
Small businesses that refuse to adapt will find themselves going uphill fast.
Every new safety regulation sent the construction project further uphill than before.
Despite the funding cuts the research programme continued to push slowly uphill.
The peace talks went uphill after both sides refused to compromise on territory.
- against the odds
more explicit about unfavourable probabilities
- against resistance
stresses active opposition rather than general difficulty
- smoothly
without difficulty or interruption
文法句型
verb + uphill (figurative: go uphill, push uphill, move uphill)
用法筆記
This figurative sense typically appears in limited verb combinations: go uphill, push uphill, move uphill. It often carries a tone of growing difficulty rather than simple challenge.
uphill — noun
1. a section of ground or a surface that slopes upward — for example, a long uphill
a section of ground or a surface that slopes upward — for example, a long uphill on a hiking trail or a steep uphill on a bicycle route.
The path flattened out after a long uphill that tired the children.
Mira could see the steep uphill ahead and wished she had worn better shoes.
steep + uphill (adjective + noun)
From the bottom the uphill looked steeper than it actually turned out to be.
Cyclists slowed down as they approached the long uphill just before the old bridge.
The tour guide warned the group about the difficult uphill near the ruined castle.
文法句型
a/the uphill
a long/steep/difficult uphill
用法筆記
Typically used in the singular with an article or determiner (a long uphill, the steep uphill). Less common in the plural (the uphills of the route).