English · Word Candidate

hardship

/ˈhɑɹdˌʃɪp/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: hardships · hardshipping · hardshipped

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Difficulty or trouble; hard times.

Noun

He has survived periods of financial hardship before.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

A burden, a source of difficulty that could impose a barrier.

Noun

When you visit the museum, we invite you to make a donation of $10 if this will not be a hardship.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

To treat (a person) badly; to subject to hardships.

Verb

[…] an adjustment of the income tax could easily produce the twenty millions without hardshipping any industrious person in the community […]

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

What does “hardship” mean?

Difficulty or trouble; hard times.

Is “hardship” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.