The most popular online dictionary and thesaurus for learners of English
the rub
formalDefinition
› the particular problem that makes a situation difficult or impossible: You can't get a job unless you have experience, but there's the rub, you can't get experience unless you have a job.Difficult things and peoplePreventing and impeding
(Definition of the rub from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
Browse related topics
You are looking at an entry to do with Difficult things and people, but you might be interested in these topics from the Easy and difficult topic area:
Browse the Thesaurus
More Results for “the rub”
SMART Thesaurus: Difficult things and people
Synonyms and related words:
- a (heavy) cross to bear idiom
- a bitter pill (to swallow) idiom
- a hard/tough nut to crack idiom
- albatross noun (PROBLEM)
- bane noun
- handful noun (DIFFICULT PERSON)
- handicap noun (DIFFICULTY)
- headache noun (DIFFICULTY)
- hiccup noun (PROBLEM)
- impediment noun
- job noun (PROBLEM)
- labyrinth noun
- liability noun (RISK)
- life's a bitch (and then you die) idiom
- maze noun (RULES/IDEAS)
- the chill wind of sth idiom
- the hard way idiom
- the sharp end noun
- the/a devil of a sth idiom
- thorn in your flesh/side idiom
Word of the Day
Blog
Read our blog about how the English language behaves.
New Words
Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.
