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

Henry makes a cute joke about Arch’s wife; Arch weeps due to the hardships of war. — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026

But they were seen as adding undue hardships to people who rely heavily on the care. — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026

In doing so, the report adds new data to a growing pile of information about poverty and economic hardship in the state, showing that even before some of the upcoming federal benefit cuts take effect, a growing number of households are struggling. — P.r. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026

In his statement on X, Kundizeza insisted that his story, centered on family relationships and economic hardship, was entirely his own work. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 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