hardship

noun

hard·​ship ˈhärd-ˌship 

1

: privation, suffering

recovering from financial hardship

2

: something that causes or entails suffering or privation

the hardships of life on the frontier

Synonyms of hardship

• difficulty

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

Rolling blackouts have worsened, exacerbating hardships in a country whose economy has been in crisis for five years. — ABC News, 10 July 2026

Such faith can help to sustain residents of Cutud, where poverty and hardship are common. — H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 10 July 2026

West Sacramento faces low life expectancy and financial hardship, West Sacramento Councilmember Quirina Orozco noted. — Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026

Before settling in Omaha in the 1960s, Tubbs’s parents had suffered their own hardships. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026

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