hardscrabble

adjective

hard·​scrab·​ble ˈhärd-ˌskra-bəl How to pronounce hardscrabble (audio)
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

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 Not just any Black voters, not Detroit’s liberal electorate or Flint’s hardscrabble residents, but conservative voters in South Carolina. Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024 The hardscrabble upbringing has inspired Atkins’ legislative agenda — including providing earned income tax credits for poor people and supplying permanent state funding to help low-income families buy affordable housing. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2024 Playing in between was a brassy Canadian from a hardscrabble background: Shania Twain. Brad Shoup, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2024 Her hardscrabble youth is marked by intense memories that fated her to a life of performance. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2024 Many welcome guests, with options ranging from hardscrabble working farms to luxurious rural retreats. Sarah Marshall, Travel, 23 Jan. 2024 In addition to the unforgiving climate and hardscrabble, crop-resistant soil, Kahlen has to battle with Frederik de Schinkel (Simon Bennebjerg), a brutal and arrogant land baron determined to claim Kahlen’s land for his own. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Jan. 2024 Based on the book by Daniel James Brown, the movie covers the life of Joe Rantz, a rower at the University of Washington whose team overcame hardscrabble beginnings to compete at the 1936 Summer Olympics. James Grebey, Vulture, 22 Dec. 2023 Advertisement The Red Devils will be trying to win the first football state championship in school history, and Hernandez is a believer that the toughness instilled in his players stems in part from their hardscrabble environment. San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Dec. 2023

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.

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hardscrabble was in 1879

Dictionary Entries Near hardscrabble

Cite this Entry

“Hardscrabble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hardscrabble. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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