# Why Engineers Should Replace "Easy" and "Hard" with More Specific Language

DevFeed: [Why Engineers Should Replace "Easy" and "Hard" with More Specific Language](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/hardly-easy-27342.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://blog.mmckenna.me/hardly-easy>)

Author: Matt McKenna

Published: 2025-01-29T12:00:32Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Matt McKenna](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/matt-mckenna.md>)

Topics: [context](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/context.md>), [bug](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/bug.md>)

Tags: [bug](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/bug.md>), [context](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/context.md>), [feelings](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/feelings.md>), [general-advice](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/general-advice.md>), [general-programming](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/general-programming.md>), [inclusive](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/inclusive.md>), [scope](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/scope.md>), [software-engineering](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/software-engineering.md>), [team](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/team.md>)

## AI overview

The article argues that engineers should avoid describing tasks as merely "easy" or "hard." More specific terms such as "small in scope," "straightforward," or "demanding" provide useful context and can help teams communicate more inclusively.

## Source excerpt

Words like "easy" and "hard" can be surprisingly exclusive. Telling someone a task is easy can make them feel ashamed or inadequate if they struggle, while simply labeling something hard fails to provide the context engineers need to understand the t...