hard-knock

adjective

ˈhärd-ˈnäk How to pronounce hard-knock (audio)
: marked by difficult or painful experiences or circumstances
For all of his gifts, Cabrera's greatest strength may be a toughness that came from his hard-knock life.— Alan Shipnuck

Examples of hard-knock in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The book by Kristoffer Diaz is loosely inspired by Keys own hard-knock growing-up years in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Feb. 2025 Joy Behar had a hard-knock time watching Whoopi Goldberg’s debut performance of Annie on Wednesday thanks to their fellow View cohost, Sunny Hostin. — EW.com, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hard-knock was in 1967

Rhymes for hard-knock

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Browse Nearby Words

hardishrew
hard-knock
hard knocks
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Cite this Entry

“Hard-knock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard-knock. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

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