hardship
Americannoun
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a condition that is difficult to endure; suffering; deprivation; oppression.
a life of hardship.
- Synonyms:
- misfortune, suffering, affliction, trouble
- Antonyms:
- ease
-
an instance or cause of this; something hard to bear, as a deprivation, lack of comfort, or constant toil or danger.
They faced bravely the many hardships of frontier life.
noun
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conditions of life difficult to endure
-
something that causes suffering or privation
Related Words
Hardship, privation, austerity refer to a condition hard to endure. Hardship applies to a circumstance in which excessive and painful effort of some kind is required, as enduring acute discomfort from cold, or battling over rough terrain. Privation has particular reference to lack of food, clothing, and other necessities or comforts. Austerity not only includes the ideas of privation and hardship but also implies deliberate control of emotional reactions to these.
Etymology
Origin of hardship
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"We embrace a certain amount of discomfort and hardship and suffering."
From BBC
Now Iran’s leaders will have to navigate a transition of power, while confronting domestic discontent, economic hardship and external pressure for change from the U.S. and others.
For many ordinary Iranians, tension had already been high following mass protests in late December triggered by economic hardship that left thousands dead.
From Barron's
Schools should also run uniform banks or exchanges and should not discipline pupils for breaching uniform rules if the breach is due to financial hardship.
From BBC
With groups including the Pasadena Community Foundation, Child Care Directors Alliance and the city of Pasadena, it has distributed nearly $2 million to 43 providers with fire-related hardships through grants of up to $45,000.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
