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

That combination — genuine suffering refracted through dark humor, hardship worn lightly — is exactly what American audiences are finding so alluring in Korean stories right now. —Dan Bilefsky, HollywoodReporter, 21 Mar. 2026

Women are arrested for violating dress codes, protesters are jailed and economic hardship has deepened across much of the population. —Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026

The Trona community has already endured extraordinary hardship. —Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026

And in today’s economy, Wherry said consumers should try to move away from the mindset that financial hardship is self-caused or self-inflicted. —William Tong, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 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