noun
hardship
HAHD-shihp
noun
1
A period of severe difficulty, suffering, or lack; hard times.
"The family endured great hardship during the war."
"Losing his job caused serious financial hardship."
How to Use Hardship
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDifficult circumstances, often involving suffering, poverty, or loss.
Common pairings
financial hardship
suffer hardship
undue hardship
Word Forms
hardshipped past tense, hardships plural, hardships singular
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The family endured great _____ during the war.
Etymology
From Middle English hardshipe, built from hard + -ship.