: gained by great effort

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web No diagnosis or intervention was handed to us; each was hard-won and highly scrutinized. Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 18 Feb. 2023 Complement, growth, faith, and yes, even independence, so hard-won for me — these fit better, but were still too simplistic to encompass the reality of what this love could be in all its layered complications. Cassidy Randall, Longreads, 16 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hard-won.' 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

1586, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hard-won was in 1586

Dictionary Entries Near hard-won

Cite this Entry

“Hard-won.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard-won. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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