hard nut to crack
Stubborn problem ahead
A hard nut to crack is a person or problem that's difficult to understand, persuade, or solve.
The image is of a nut with a tough shell resisting efforts to open it.
Getting him to change his mind was a hard nut to crack.
The encryption proved a hard nut to crack for investigators.
Something hard to fathom
- mysterySomething unexplained or unknown
- riddlePuzzling question to solve
- conundrumPerplexing problem or question
- brain-teaserChallenging mental puzzle
cipher · cryptic · perplexing · baffling · mystifying · puzzlement · head-scratcher · stumper
Firmly refusing to yield
- intransigentRefusing to compromise
- unyieldingRefusing to give way
- headstrongStubbornly self-willed
- obdurateStubbornly refusing to change
recalcitrant · adamant · implacable · inflexible · willful · bullheaded · unbending · uncooperative
Firmness of purpose
- perseveranceSustained resolve despite obstacles
- tenacityPersistent grip or resolve
- gritDetermination or abrasive particles
- fortitudeEnduring courage under pain
resolve · willpower · steadfastness · patience · endurance · stamina · doggedness · persistence
Requiring much effort
- dauntingDiscouraging through difficulty
- arduousDemanding strenuous effort
- demandingRequiring great effort
- formidableInspiring fear or respect
tough · grueling · uphill · strenuous · taxing · feat · test · trial
Elaborately detailed, many parts
- complicatedDifficult to understand
- convolutedExcessively complex or twisted
- complexHaving many interconnected parts
- knottyComplex and difficult
thorny · tangled · labyrinthine · Byzantine · multifaceted · nuanced · layered · dense
enigma
Something hard to fathom
- mysterySomething unexplained or unknown
- riddlePuzzling question to solve
- conundrumPerplexing problem or question
brain-teaser · cipher · cryptic · perplexing · baffling · mystifying · puzzlement · head-scratcher · stumper · brainteaser
obstinate
Firmly refusing to yield
- intransigentRefusing to compromise
- unyieldingRefusing to give way
- headstrongStubbornly self-willed
obdurate · recalcitrant · adamant · implacable · inflexible · willful · bullheaded · unbending · uncooperative · uncompromising
determination
Firmness of purpose
- perseveranceSustained resolve despite obstacles
- tenacityPersistent grip or resolve
- gritDetermination or abrasive particles
fortitude · resolve · willpower · steadfastness · patience · endurance · stamina · doggedness · persistence · resilience
difficult
Requiring much effort
- dauntingDiscouraging through difficulty
- arduousDemanding strenuous effort
- demandingRequiring great effort
formidable · tough · grueling · uphill · strenuous · taxing · feat · test · trial · obstacle
intricate
Elaborately detailed, many parts
- complicatedDifficult to understand
- convolutedExcessively complex or twisted
- complexHaving many interconnected parts
knotty · thorny · tangled · labyrinthine · Byzantine · multifaceted · nuanced · layered · dense · impenetrable
hard nut to crackpiece of cake
Idiomatic easy task
pushover · easy win · walk in the park · child's play · no-brainer
hard nut to crackopen book
One easily understood
pushover · easy read · soft touch · easy mark · what you see is what you get
hard, harder, hardest, hardly, hardness, harden, hardened, hardening, hardship