An example of hardship is when you are too poor to afford proper food or shelter and you must try to endure the hard times and deprivation.
- hard circumstances of life
- a thing hard to bear; specific cause of discomfort or suffering, as poverty, pain, etc.
Origin of hardshipMiddle English heardschipe: see hard and amp; -ship
- The condition of lacking necessities or comforts; privation or suffering.
- A thing or circumstance that causes ongoing or persistent suffering or difficulty: “Hives are a great hardship, but they will not injure your vital organs” (Andrew Weil). See Synonyms at difficulty.
From Middle English herdschipe, hardischipe, equivalent to hard + -ship.
hardship - Legal Definition