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

The security forces that keep the regime in power have not escaped hardship either. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 11 Jan. 2026

Cubans have endured a slew of hardships in recent years, including frequent and long-lasting power outages that have turned into blackouts multiple times. —Kate Perez, USA Today, 11 Jan. 2026

Iran remained isolated from the rest of the world as the nation’s theocracy shut down the internet and cut off phone lines as demonstrators raged against economic hardship and high inflation. —Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 10 Jan. 2026

Merriam-Webster defines it as the description of someone or something in a state of possibly irreversible misfortune and hardship. —Brenda Looper, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 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