Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of hardship

22 similar words · 2 opposite words

Another word for hardship is smart. Other synonyms of hardship are grief, pain, wrong, distress and anguish. The opposite of hardship is enthusiasm.

Synonyms and similar words for hardship

nounDifficulty or trouble; hard times.

  • distressA cause of such discomfort.
  • griefSuffering, hardship.
  • anguishExtreme pain, either of body or mind; excruciating distress; an emotional state caused by intense misery or suffering.
  • rendA violent separation of parts.
  • difficulty
  • painThe condition or fact of suffering or anguish especially mental, as opposed to pleasure; torment; distress.
  • smartMental pain or suffering; grief; affliction.
  • tormentAny extreme pain, anguish or misery, either physical or mental.
  • tortureSevere pain or anguish, of mind or body.
  • troubleThe state of being troubled, disturbed, or distressed mentally; unease, disquiet.

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

  • problem
  • sorrow(usually in plural) An instance or cause of unhappiness.
  • affliction
  • aggrievanceOppression; hardship; grievance.
  • grievanceSomething which causes grief.
  • miseryCause of misery; calamity; misfortune.
  • sadnessAn event in one's life that causes sadness.
  • undelightSomething unpleasant or displeasing.
  • vexationA source of mental distress or trouble; an affliction, a woe; also, a source of annoyance or irritation; an annoyance...
  • woe
  • wrongAn instance of wronging someone (sometimes with possessive to indicate the wrongdoer).
  • ruth obsoleteMatter for regret or sorrow; calamity, ruin; also, occasion for regret or sorrow; (countable) an instance of this; a...

Opposite of hardship

nounMore antonyms

Meaning of hardship

  1. noun Difficulty or trouble; hard times.
  2. noun A burden, a source of difficulty that could impose a barrier.
  3. verb To treat (a person) badly; to subject to hardships.

Full definition of hardship

hardship in other languages

Questions about synonyms of hardship

What is another word for hardship?
Hardship has 22 synonyms on Word.ws, such as smart, grief, pain, wrong, distress, anguish, trouble and torture.
What is the opposite of hardship?
The opposite of hardship is enthusiasm.
What does hardship mean?
Hardship means difficulty or trouble; hard times.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: hardship (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of hardship.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/hardship. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.