1. characterized by poverty, difficulty, or struggle; barely providing a living

Examples

• The family lived a hardscrabble existence on their small farm.
• She grew up in a hardscrabble neighborhood where jobs were scarce.
• Despite their hardscrabble beginnings, they eventually found success.
• The hardscrabble life of early settlers required tremendous determination.
• Many immigrants faced hardscrabble conditions when they first arrived.
• The novel depicts the hardscrabble reality of rural poverty.