hardscrabble
adjective
hard·scrab·ble
ˈhärd-ˌskra-bəl 
1
a
: being or relating to a place of barren or barely arable soil
a hardscrabble farm
hardscrabble prairies
b
: getting a meager living from poor soil
a hardscrabble farmer
2
: marked by poverty
a hardscrabble cotton town
a hardscrabble childhood
Synonyms
Examples of hardscrabble in a Sentence
He lived a hardscrabble life.
it was hard to eke out even a bare existence on the hardscrabble lands
Recent Examples on the Web
When her friends start to question her deception, the ever-prepared entertainer is ready to explain the technicalities of her lies (that hardscrabble life is because her family was just really good at Scrabble!).
—
Hunter Ingram, Variety, 20 June 2024
The rangers, who have been protecting life and property in Texas since 1823, have evolved from the hardscrabble image of horse-riding, Winchester-rifle-wielding lawmen to specialized investigators today under the auspices of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
—Rick Jervis, The Courier-Journal, 31 May 2024
This level of hardscrabble city-building existence isn't for everybody, especially in the game's rough Early Access state.
—Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 10 May 2024
By 2013, those hardscrabble beginnings seemed a distant memory.
—Kitty Bennett, New York Times, 13 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for hardscrabble 
Hunter Ingram, Variety, 20 June 2024
The rangers, who have been protecting life and property in Texas since 1823, have evolved from the hardscrabble image of horse-riding, Winchester-rifle-wielding lawmen to specialized investigators today under the auspices of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
—Rick Jervis, The Courier-Journal, 31 May 2024
This level of hardscrabble city-building existence isn't for everybody, especially in the game's rough Early Access state.
—Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 10 May 2024
By 2013, those hardscrabble beginnings seemed a distant memory.
—Kitty Bennett, New York Times, 13 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for hardscrabble
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hardscrabble.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hardscrabble
Cite this Entry
“Hardscrabble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hardscrabble. Accessed 30 Jun. 2024.
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