hardship

noun

hard·​ship ˈhärd-ˌship 

1

: privation, suffering

2

: something that causes or entails suffering or privation

Synonyms

• adversity
• asperity
• difficulty
• hardness
• rigor

Examples of hardship in a Sentence

He had suffered through considerable hardship.

The city has been experiencing a period of financial hardship.

They had to endure the hardships of life on the frontier.

Recent Examples on the Web

All of those workers would have to manage those financial hardships and uncertainty during what is usually a festive time of year. —Brian Bennett, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024

As happened during a 2018–19 shutdown, some of those TSA agents could stop working due to financial hardship, potentially causing longer lines and wait times because of a lack of staff. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 20 Dec. 2024

Marcia and Wally, meanwhile, are also facing hardship. —Marc Berman, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

And her hardships and her parents’ — my grandparents’ — hardships of fleeing Budapest in 1956 during the revolution, losing their home and leaving everything behind and escaping under a bed of corn on the back of a truck and eventually immigrating to the United States? —Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

hardship

noun

hard·​ship ˈhärd-ˌship 

1

: pain entry 1 sense 2a, privation

2

: something that causes pain or loss