hardscrabble

adjective

hard·​scrab·​ble ˈhärd-ˌskra-bəl How to pronounce hardscrabble (audio)
Synonyms of hardscrabblenext
1
a
: being or relating to a place of barren or barely arable soil
a hardscrabble farm
hardscrabble prairies
b
: getting a meager living from poor soil
a hardscrabble farmer
2
: marked by poverty
a hardscrabble mill town
a hardscrabble childhood

Synonyms of hardscrabble

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Examples of hardscrabble in a Sentence

He lived a hardscrabble life. it was hard to eke out even a bare existence on the hardscrabble lands
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Hoyos has come a long way from a hardscrabble childhood. — Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026 These songs were less detailed than the ballads but conveyed intense emotion gleaned from an often hardscrabble existence. — Ted Olson, The Conversation, 2 July 2026 Through it all, however, West struggled with depression and a sense of self-loathing, and had trouble with intimacy, much of it a by-product of a hardscrabble childhood in West Virginia with a domineering father. — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026 Instructed to write hillbilly music for hardscrabble whites, and racy R&B for the working-class black crowd, Q began to sell traditional country under the table using his mother’s name — even to one of the labels’ presidents, for his other artists to perform. — Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for hardscrabble

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hardscrabble was in 1879

Rhymes for hardscrabble

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Browse Nearby Words

hard science
hardscrabble
hard seed
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Cite this Entry

“Hardscrabble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hardscrabble. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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