hardscrabble

[ hahrd-skrab-uhl ]

adjective

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

   the hardscrabble existence of mountainside farmers.

hardscrabble

/ ˈhɑːdˌskræbəl /

noun

1. modifier (of a place) difficult to make a living in; barren
2. great effort made in the face of difficulties

Word History and Origins

Origin of hardscrabble¹

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

Example Sentences

The Ireland of Dolours and Marian’s youth in “Say Nothing” is a hardscrabble place where circumstances led to them being raised on a diet of war stories.

From Salon

As described in his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, Vance overcame a hardscrabble childhood and attended Ohio State University on the federally funded GI Bill, which provides grants for thousands of veterans, including not only Vance but his vice-presidential rival, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

From Salon

He could be an assistant general manager, helping identify and acquire the sort of hardscrabble players that resemble him.

From Los Angeles Times

Her all-too-common hardscrabble origin story has only deepened the connection.

From Salon

Robinson talked of his hardscrabble upbringing in a family shadowed by domestic abuse and the effects of foreign trade deals on U.S. workers, steering clear of his usual gun-fetishizing and anti-LGBTQ rants.

From Los Angeles Times