noun
Matterhorn
noun
1
A task, obstacle, or challenge so daunting it feels almost impossible to overcome.
"Learning the whole symphony in a week felt like her own personal Matterhorn."
"Clearing out decades of paperwork was the matterhorn of the office move."
How to Use Matterhorn
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA stand-in for "the hardest part" of any undertaking, borrowed from the famously steep, hard-to-climb mountain.
Memory tip
Usually used figuratively in English, not to talk about the actual mountain — context makes clear which is meant.
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Common pairings
a Matterhorn of a task
face your Matterhorn
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Learning the whole symphony in a week felt like her own personal _____.
Etymology
Named after the Matterhorn, the sharply pointed mountain on the Swiss-Italian border — one of the most recognisable and difficult peaks in the Alps.