Tall order Meaning in English

expression

US

ˈtɔɫ/ /ˈɔɹdɝ

TAWL OR-der

UK

tˈɔːl/ /ˈɔːdɐ

TAWL AW-duh

Definition

A requirement, task, or request that is very difficult to achieve or fulfill.

Usage & Nuances

Informal, often used to show that something asked is especially challenging. Commonly used in business, sports, and daily life. Not related to physical height—'tall' here means 'difficult'.

• Spanish: petición difícil - tarea difícil
• Portuguese (BR): pedido difícil - tarefa difícil
• Portuguese (PT): pedido difícil - tarefa difícil
• Chinese (Simplified): 艰巨的任务 - 很难实现的要求
• Chinese (Traditional): 艱鉅的任務 - 很難實現的要求
• Hindi: कठिन काम - मुश्किल माँग
• Arabic: مَهمة صعبة - طلب صعب
• Bengali: কঠিন কাজ - কঠিন চাহিদা
• Russian: сложная задача - трудная задача
• Japanese: 難題 - 無理な要求
• Vietnamese: nhiệm vụ khó khăn - yêu cầu khó thực hiện
• Korean: 어려운 일 - 무리한 요구
• Turkish: zor iş - güç bir istek
• Urdu: مشکل کام - دشوار مطالبہ
• Indonesian: tugas berat - permintaan sulit

Example Sentences

Finishing this project in two days is a tall order.

basic

Winning the championship will be a tall order for our team.

basic

Climbing that mountain in one day is a tall order.

basic

Getting him to apologize? Now that's a tall order!

natural

Keeping everyone happy during the holidays is a tall order.

natural

They knew that delivering so fast was a tall order, but they tried anyway.

natural