hard-earned
adjective
: achieved or acquired through a lot of effort or hard work
Someone stole all her hard-earned money.
a hard-earned victory
Examples of hard-earned in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Neither team cheats for offense, every inch of ice is hard-earned.
—
Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
And their reputation is hard-earned, in particular because being a woman in the business means being held to a unique standard.
—Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 7 Apr. 2025
The increasing presence of women on the Row has been hard-earned, says Mila who finds the profession at times lonely grappling with the still considerable gender gap.
—Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2025
These key announcements were hard-earned and well-deserved.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 24 Feb. 2025
But both the hope and dignity feel hard-earned and authentic.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025
Belief in each other, and in a rookie QB, is hard-earned.
—David Aldridge, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
But even then, some of the talk is witty and instructive, building toward a resolution that, if not happy, feels conciliatory and hard-earned, while true to its characters’ flaws and vanities.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Dec. 2024
Every step forward is hard-earned, but for the entrepreneurs committed to improving lives, the payoff is worth it.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
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Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
And their reputation is hard-earned, in particular because being a woman in the business means being held to a unique standard.
—Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 7 Apr. 2025
The increasing presence of women on the Row has been hard-earned, says Mila who finds the profession at times lonely grappling with the still considerable gender gap.
—Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2025
These key announcements were hard-earned and well-deserved.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 24 Feb. 2025
But both the hope and dignity feel hard-earned and authentic.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025
Belief in each other, and in a rookie QB, is hard-earned.
—David Aldridge, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
But even then, some of the talk is witty and instructive, building toward a resolution that, if not happy, feels conciliatory and hard-earned, while true to its characters’ flaws and vanities.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Dec. 2024
Every step forward is hard-earned, but for the entrepreneurs committed to improving lives, the payoff is worth it.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Hard-earned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard-earned. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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