: profoundly stricken : affected in an especially negative way
one of the industries particularly hard-hit during the downturn

Examples of hard-hit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The southeastern province, home to the tech hub Shenzhen, the trade gateway Guangzhou, and some of China's busiest ports, has been particularly hard-hit, economists told the Financial Times. Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025 Cases of liver disease have more than doubled over the last two decades — and the findings note that women are especially hard-hit. Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 30 July 2025 But after inflation rose quickly in the years that followed, consumers strained to meet rising expenses, with lower-income consumers being particularly hard-hit. Jeff Kauflin, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025 The selloff was broad-based, with multinationals and manufacturers particularly hard-hit. Preston Fore, Fortune, 7 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for hard-hit

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hard-hit was in 1826

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Cite this Entry

“Hard-hit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard-hit. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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