tall order

Idioms and Phrases

A goal that is hard to fulfill or achieve, as in Getting a thousand new subscribers is a tall order indeed . This expression uses tall in the sense of “impressively great” or “difficult.” [c. 1900]

Example Sentences

Reversing enrollment decline is a tall order given the high cost of living in L.A. and the slowdown in immigration.

From Los Angeles Times

No, but that would have been a tall order.

From Los Angeles Times

That said, bringing a massive multiday Korean awards show to the U.S. is a tall order.

From Los Angeles Times

But getting the right people together in one place is often a tall order, and could be why some of these films arrive decades after the last one.

From Los Angeles Times

The arithmetic of doing so – recovering from the Conservatives’ worst ever election defeat and overturning a Himalayan Labour majority – looks a tall order, but so volatile is the electorate you never know.

From BBC