HARD KNOCKS

Pronunciation (US): (GB):

Meaning:

A state of misfortune or affliction

Example:

a life of hardship

Synonyms:

adversity; hard knocks; hardship

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("hard knocks" is a kind of...):

bad luck; ill luck; misfortune; tough luck (an unfortunate state resulting from unfavorable outcomes)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "hard knocks"):

ill-being (lack of prosperity or happiness or health)

catastrophe; disaster (a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune)

extremity (an extreme condition or state (especially of adversity or disease))

distress (a state of adversity (danger or affliction or need))

affliction (a state of great suffering and distress due to adversity)

victimization (adversity resulting from being made a victim)

low-water mark; nadir (an extreme state of adversity; the lowest point of anything)