Vicious circle - Obstacle - Dilemma - Complication

Vicious circle

A continuing unpleasant situation, created when one problem causes another problem that then makes the first problem worse

Ex: Many people get trapped in a vicious circle of dieting and weight gain.

Obstacle

Something that blocks you so that action is prevented or made more difficult

Ex: The lack of childcare is an enormous obstacle to Women’s participation in the workforce.

Dilemma

A situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two different things you

could do

Ex: Now he has been offered the other job, which puts him in a bit of a dilemma. 

Complication

Something that makes a situation more difficult

Ex: If any complications arise, let me know.

Set back

Something that happens which stops you making progress or makes things worse

Ex: There has been a temporary setback in our plans. 

Difficulty

Ex: The company has managed to overcome is recent financial difficulties.

Trouble

Ex: Students of English often have trouble with phrasal verbs. 

Hitch (Informal)

A difficulty in a situation that is generally positive.

Ex: I finally did get a job offer that sounded perfect — the only hitch was the low salary. 

Edge (n) 

An advantage over other people

Ex: She had the edge over the other people that we interviewed.

Asset (n)

Any positive feature that gives you an advantage

Ex: Her knowledge of Spanish and French is a real asset in her work.

Good point (n)

Ex: One of the good points about the car 1s that it 1s easy to drive.

Plus point (n)

A good feature that something has

Ex: The small but powerful battery 1s another of the camera’s many plus points. 

Benefit (n)

A feature of something that has a good effect on people’s lives.

Ex: Modern technology has brought great benefits to people.

Merit (n)

The quality of being good and deserving praise

Ex: We discussed the merits of herbal tea.

In your favour

When something is in your favour, it gives you an advantage.

Ex: This candidate has a lot in her favour, especially her experience of teaching.

Teething troubles/ problems

Problems that happen in the early stages of doing something new

Ex: There were the usual teething troubles at the beginning of the project, but that’s to be expected.

Issue

A problem that needs to be dealt with, or a subject that is important and needs to be discussed.

Ex: Security is an important issue when buying things on the Internet.

Challenge

Something difficult you must deal with, which needs a lot of skill, effort and determination

Ex: Understanding the brain is one of the biggest challenges in science.