hardship
HAHD-shihp
Hardship (noun) means a period of severe difficulty, suffering, or lack; hard times. Example: “The family endured great hardship during the war.”
noun
1
A period of severe difficulty, suffering, or lack; hard times.
"He has survived periods of financial hardship before."
"If train services of this kind were to be cut off, without any provision of alternative services, there would, of course, be hardship in some cases."
— , Dr. Beeching previews the plan for British Railways (1962)
"The TUCC's role was to assess what (if any) hardship a BR closure proposal would cause, and to make recommendations to ministers who would have the final say."
— Philip Haigh, Ribblehead: at the heart of the S&C's survival and its revival (2020)
"The family endured great hardship during the war."
"Losing his job caused serious financial hardship."
"Many families faced hardship when the factory closed and work became scarce."
How to use hardship
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDifficult circumstances, often involving suffering, poverty, or loss.
Common pairings
financial hardship
suffer hardship
undue hardship
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Word forms
- Plural
- hardships
- Third person singular
- hardships
- Past tense
- hardshipped
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The family endured great _____ during the war.
Etymology
From Middle English hardshipe, built from hard + -ship.
Synonyms
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adversity
privation
affliction
trial
rigourousness
rigorousness
grimness
rigor
asperity
severeness
severity
rigour
Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for hardship
See all rhymes for hardship →Frequently asked questions
What does “hardship” mean?
The word “hardship” means a period of severe difficulty, suffering, or lack; hard times. In plain terms, difficult circumstances, often involving suffering, poverty, or loss.
How do you pronounce “hardship”?
“Hardship” is pronounced HAHD-shihp (/ˈhɑɹdˌʃɪp/ in IPA).
How do you use “hardship” in a sentence?
Here is “hardship” used in a sentence: “The family endured great hardship during the war.”
What is the opposite of “hardship”?
The opposite of “hardship” — its antonyms — are softship and enthusiasm.
What part of speech is “hardship”?
“Hardship” is a noun.
Where does the word “hardship” come from?
The word “hardship” comes from Middle English. From Middle English hardshipe, built from hard + -ship.
Is “hardship” a common word?
“Hardship” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
What is the difference between hardship and struggle?
Hardship refers to a period of severe difficulty, suffering, or lack, often describing an ongoing condition such as poverty or loss. Struggle emphasizes the effort of fighting against a difficulty, and can describe a shorter or more active process, whereas hardship focuses on the difficult condition itself.
What is an example of financial hardship?
Financial hardship describes a period of severe difficulty involving lack of money, such as being unable to afford housing, food, or medical care. It is a common phrase used in contexts like loan applications, tax relief, and government assistance programs.
Is hardship used mostly for personal or economic difficulty?
Hardship can describe both personal suffering, such as illness or loss, and economic difficulty, such as poverty or unemployment. The word broadly refers to any period of severe difficulty or hard times, regardless of the specific cause.
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