hardscrabble
adjective
hard·scrab·ble
ˈhärd-ˌskra-bəl 
1
a
: being or relating to a place of barren or barely arable soil
a hardscrabble farm
hardscrabble prairies
b
: getting a meager living from poor soil
a hardscrabble farmer
2
: marked by poverty
a hardscrabble cotton town
a hardscrabble childhood
Synonyms
Examples of hardscrabble in a Sentence
He lived a hardscrabble life.
it was hard to eke out even a bare existence on the hardscrabble lands
Recent Examples on the Web
Valente brought a following with him to Del Paso Boulevard, and Southpaw gained a reputation as a dining destination on the hardscrabble, ever-on-the-rise thoroughfare.
—
Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 4 Apr. 2024
After chronicling their perilous and frightening 45-day voyage, the author goes on to describe the sale of the 103 survivors of the journey to various enslavers in Alabama, their five years of bondage, and their hardscrabble lives following emancipation.
—Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024
On Change the Game, Jinks trades hardscrabble ego and road-dog grit for vulnerability, accountability, and redemption.
—Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2024
Not just any Black voters, not Detroit’s liberal electorate or Flint’s hardscrabble residents, but conservative voters in South Carolina.
—Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024
The hardscrabble upbringing has inspired Atkins’ legislative agenda — including providing earned income tax credits for poor people and supplying permanent state funding to help low-income families buy affordable housing.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2024
Playing in between was a brassy Canadian from a hardscrabble background: Shania Twain.
—Brad Shoup, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2024
Her hardscrabble youth is marked by intense memories that fated her to a life of performance.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2024
Many welcome guests, with options ranging from hardscrabble working farms to luxurious rural retreats.
—Sarah Marshall, Travel, 23 Jan. 2024
Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 4 Apr. 2024
After chronicling their perilous and frightening 45-day voyage, the author goes on to describe the sale of the 103 survivors of the journey to various enslavers in Alabama, their five years of bondage, and their hardscrabble lives following emancipation.
—Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024
On Change the Game, Jinks trades hardscrabble ego and road-dog grit for vulnerability, accountability, and redemption.
—Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2024
Not just any Black voters, not Detroit’s liberal electorate or Flint’s hardscrabble residents, but conservative voters in South Carolina.
—Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024
The hardscrabble upbringing has inspired Atkins’ legislative agenda — including providing earned income tax credits for poor people and supplying permanent state funding to help low-income families buy affordable housing.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2024
Playing in between was a brassy Canadian from a hardscrabble background: Shania Twain.
—Brad Shoup, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2024
Her hardscrabble youth is marked by intense memories that fated her to a life of performance.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2024
Many welcome guests, with options ranging from hardscrabble working farms to luxurious rural retreats.
—Sarah Marshall, Travel, 23 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hardscrabble.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hardscrabble
Cite this Entry
“Hardscrabble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hardscrabble. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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