Standard Lemma guide

hardscrabble

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /ˈhɑɹdˌskɹæbəl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -æbəl
  • CMU ARPABET: HH AA1 R D S K R AE2 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Requiring much work to farm, and ultimately not very productive.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, US, not-comparable

Examples

  • his hardscrabble peanut farm

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Involving hard work and struggle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, US, broadly, not-comparable

Examples

  • He leads a hardscrabble existence.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

barely satisfying a lower standard

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the sharecropper's hardscrabble life

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From hard + scrabble.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: vaivalloinen — involving hard work and struggle
  • German: mühselig — involving hard work and struggle
  • German: entbehrungsreich — involving hard work and struggle