hardscrabble

American  

[hahrd-skrab-uhl] / ˈhɑrdˌskræb əl /

adjective

1. providing or yielding meagerly in return for much effort; demanding or unrewarding.

   the hardscrabble existence of mountainside farmers.

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hardscrabble British  

/ ˈhɑːdˌskræbəl /

noun

1. (modifier) (of a place) difficult to make a living in; barren

2. great effort made in the face of difficulties

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Etymology

Origin of hardscrabble

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805; hard + scrabble

Example Sentences

From hardscrabble beginnings, they rise to become Germany’s foremost carmakers.

From The Wall Street Journal

President Masoud Pezeshkian promised dialogue and acknowledged "legitimate demands" in in a country where inflation soars near 50%, and currency depreciations play havoc with people's hardscrabble lives.

From BBC

Ms. Iturbide’s most well-known image shows a woman with flowing waist-length hair and billowing skirts looming above a hardscrabble landscape, a modern boombox clutched in her right hand.

From The Wall Street Journal

It is also tapping a growing pool of reservists to replenish its ranks, and doling out financial incentives that lure men from its hardscrabble provinces.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mom was the youngest of 10 kids and grew up hardscrabble.

From The Wall Street Journal