hardship
serious difficulty and suffering
A very difficult and uncomfortable situation in life, especially when you do not have enough money or basic things you need.
to suffer [hardship]; to face [hardship]; [hardship] caused by [something]
- After losing his job, he went through years of financial hardship.
- The war brought great hardship to ordinary families.
- Many students experience hardship while trying to pay for college.
- They grew up in hardship, without proper heating or running water.
- The charity provides support to people facing severe hardship.
- She lived in hardship after her husband died.
- The family felt hardship when they lost their home.
- During the flood, many people suffered hardship.
- He works two jobs to avoid hardship.
- The government gives money to people in hardship.
difficulty used to justify exemption
A serious problem or high cost that you use as a reason to ask for special treatment, such as lower payments or an exception to a rule.
[someone] claims [hardship]; [authority] grants [hardship] exemption; undue [hardship] on [someone/something]
- The landlord may reduce the rent if the tenant can prove genuine financial hardship.
- Employers must provide reasonable accommodations unless doing so would cause undue hardship to the business.
- The university offers a hardship waiver for students who cannot afford the full tuition fees.
- She applied for a hardship exemption from the tax penalty after losing her job.
- The judge considered the hardship that deportation would cause to the family.
- He asked the bank for a hardship plan to lower his monthly payments.
- The company must help disabled workers unless it causes undue hardship.
- The school gave her a hardship grant because her parents lost their jobs.
- They got a hardship waiver, so they did not have to pay the extra fee.
- The law allows a hardship exception in very special cases.
- Base: hardship
- Plural: hardship, hardships
economic hardship
1serious economic difficulty
Serious money and job problems in a person’s life, a group, or a whole country, often caused by a bad economy.
- Many small businesses closed during the period of economic hardship.
- The policy changes led to economic hardship for farmers in the region.
- The report warns that rising prices may cause widespread economic hardship.
financial hardship
1serious money-related difficulty
Serious money problems that make it hard to pay for basic needs or bills.
- After the accident, the family fell into financial hardship and struggled to pay rent.
- The charity supports people in financial hardship due to illness or job loss.
- Students facing financial hardship can apply for additional funding.
hardship allowance
1extra pay for difficult conditions
Extra money that a worker gets because their job is in very hard or unpleasant conditions or in a difficult place.
- Employees who work in remote villages receive a hardship allowance.
- The contract includes a hardship allowance for staff posted in conflict areas.
- Some teachers refuse positions in the region, even with the hardship allowance.
undue hardship
1excessive difficulty or cost
A very serious problem, cost, or difficulty that is too big and is therefore not fair to require from a person or company.
- An employer is not required to make changes that would cause undue hardship to the business.
- The court decided that repaying the full amount would create undue hardship for the debtor.
- The law allows exceptions when following the rule would result in undue hardship.
undue hardship
2very serious or excessive hardship
A very serious problem, cost, or difficulty, especially a legal limit on what an employer or organization must do to help someone.
- Employers must provide reasonable accommodations unless it would cause undue hardship.
- The court decided that allowing the request would not create an undue hardship for the company.