hardship

American  

[hahrd-ship] / ˈhɑrd ʃɪp /

noun

1. a condition that is difficult to endure; suffering; deprivation; oppression.

   a life of hardship.

   Synonyms:

   misfortune, suffering, affliction, trouble

   Antonyms:

   ease

2. an instance or cause of this; something hard to bear, as a deprivation, lack of comfort, or constant toil or danger.

   They faced bravely the many hardships of frontier life.

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hardship British  

/ ˈhɑːdʃɪp /

noun

1. conditions of life difficult to endure

2. something that causes suffering or privation

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Related Words

Hardship, privation, austerity refer to a condition hard to endure. Hardship applies to a circumstance in which excessive and painful effort of some kind is required, as enduring acute discomfort from cold, or battling over rough terrain. Privation has particular reference to lack of food, clothing, and other necessities or comforts. Austerity not only includes the ideas of privation and hardship but also implies deliberate control of emotional reactions to these.

Etymology

Origin of hardship

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; hard + -ship

Explanation

If something is a hardship, it causes suffering or unpleasantness. After all the hardship you endured while training for the marathon, you really hope that you’ll do well — or at least finish! The word hard in hardship is a tip-off to its meaning: something that’s a hardship is hard. It could be hard work that you do for a larger goal — like training for the marathon — or it could be a situation that’s hard to endure. If you lose your job, you could end up experiencing financial hardship. Sometimes a hardship is something that just happens, like the hardship people suffer following a disaster.

Example Sentences

Sixty-six years after his birth, hardship is etched in the faces of those queueing for food.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

This led him to such positions as endorsing a fare hike—a hardship for some low-income riders but good for the transit employees.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

It spread countrywide the following day, fueled by longstanding frustration over corruption and economic hardship.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

And if they’re coming to you for money, it’s possible they’re going through enough hardship that even a bank won’t lend to them — but that also means they might struggle to pay you back.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

But despite the hardship, she’s dutifully behind me.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• adversity
• calamity
• catastrophe
• danger
• difficulty
• disaster
• discomfort
• fatigue
• grief
• hazard
• injury
• misery
• misfortune
• oppression
• peril
• persecution
• sorrow
• suffering
• torment
• trouble