What does hardship mean?
Hardship means difficult or adverse circumstances, especially those involving suffering, financial strain, deprivation, or serious inconvenience. The word can describe a collective condition, as in “the hardship caused by war,” or an individual experience, as in “a family facing hardship.” It is commonly used in formal and literary contexts and often implies circumstances that are prolonged, demanding, or unusually severe. “Hardship” is related to “hard,” and its suffix -ship also appears in words such as friendship, relationship, and craftsmanship. In this sense, hardship denotes a condition rather than a specific problem: a person may speak of hardship in general, while “a hardship” refers to one particular difficulty. The word is especially useful when describing adversity that tests people’s resources, endurance, or circumstances rather than a minor inconvenience.
nounA difficult or unpleasant situation, especially one involving suffering, lack of money, or serious difficulty. It can refer to a particular hardship or to such conditions in general.
- A difficult or adverse condition involving suffering, deprivation, or serious inconvenience.
- A specific instance of difficulty or adversity, especially one affecting a person or group.
"The family endured considerable hardship after losing its home in the storm."
"Many rural communities continue to face hardship because of limited access to employment and services."
"She described the long journey through the mountains as a test of physical hardship."
"The scholarship enabled the student to continue her studies without financial hardship."
The plural refers to separate instances of adversity or to multiple difficult conditions affecting people or a group.
"The testimonies documented the hardships endured by survivors of the conflict."
The word hardship contains the same -ship suffix found in friendship and craftsmanship, but here it points to the difficult condition of being hard-pressed.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hardship come from?
Hardship is a Middle English formation combining the adjective “hard” with the suffix “-ship,” a Germanic element meaning a state, condition, or quality. The word developed in the sense of difficult or adverse circumstances. Its base “hard” comes through Old English from a Germanic root associated with firmness, severity, and difficulty, while “-ship” is also the source of related formations such as friendship and hardship. The same Germanic and Indo-European roots lie behind cognates in other European languages, although modern meanings vary somewhat according to context.
Related word forms
How hardship is actually used
Hardship is usually formal and has a serious, sometimes literary tone. It can be used as a mass noun for prolonged or collective difficulty, or as a countable noun for a particular adverse circumstance.