hard earned success

USAGE SUMMARY

"hard earned success" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is often used to refer to a success that has been achieved through a lot of hard work and dedication. For example: "After years of hard work and dedication, he was finally able to achieve his hard-earned success."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Never one to boast about her own hard earned success, she was a modest woman who loved making others happy.

The New York Times

Never one to boast about his own hard earned success, he was a modest man who loved making others laugh.

The New York Times

Our link to "What Keeps Me Grounded?" describes typical stressors at various stages of professional life and also highlights stories that celebrate a hard earned success or insight garnered through a difficult time.

Duke University

Says Dr. Diller: "At a time in their lives when they should be enjoying their hard earned success, so many women have been made to feel they have failed somehow, failed to live up to an unrealistic image.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

But also that the values in the Hispanic community -- like hard work, earned success and family commitment -- are the values America needs to get moving again.

Huffington Post

Akron, the former Rust Belt casualty, has been springing back to life, with repurposed industrial architecture, a thriving arts community, inventive cooking and a culture that's always favored hard work and earned success.

Huffington Post

Instead, they should offer a positive message about how hard work, personal responsibility and earned success are better than government dependency.

The Washington Post

And the "dream-pursuers" themselves should become aware of all the research suggesting that earned success, through hard work, is the most reliable path to true happiness.

Forbes

That capitalism is based on the notion of earned success — the equation that hard work should lead to rewards.

The New York Times

I have noticed this dynamic in money management organizations, where hard-working, process-driven investors internalize the sense that they have earned success through their efforts.

Forbes

The meritocracy is based on earned success.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "hard earned success" to emphasize the effort and dedication required to achieve a particular outcome. This phrase is particularly effective when highlighting personal qualities like perseverance and commitment.

Common error

Avoid using "hard earned success" when the outcome was largely due to luck, privilege, or external factors. Accurately represent the source of the achievement to maintain credibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hard earned success" functions as a noun phrase where the adjectives "hard earned" modify the noun "success". It typically acts as the subject or object of a sentence, describing an achievement resulting from significant effort, as evidenced by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Academia

33%

Wiki

32%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "hard earned success" is a common and grammatically sound phrase used to describe achievements gained through considerable effort and dedication. As Ludwig AI confirms, its function is to emphasize the difficulty overcome in reaching a goal. The phrase appears frequently in news and media, academic writing, and general web content, and its neutral register makes it suitable for various contexts. When using this phrase, remember to apply it accurately to situations where genuine effort was a key factor. Alternatives such as "well-deserved achievement" or "triumph through perseverance" can be used to add nuance or variety to your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

earned accomplishment

Similar to the original, but uses "accomplishment" which is a more formal term for "success".

achievement through effort

Emphasizes the effort invested in achieving the goal, using a more general term for success.

well-deserved achievement

Replaces "success" with "achievement" and uses "well-deserved" to emphasize the justification of the success.

hard-won accomplishment

Substitutes "success" with "accomplishment" and uses "hard-won" to highlight the difficulty.

deserved triumph

Focuses on the deserved nature of the triumph, implying that the effort warranted the success.

triumph through perseverance

Focuses on the act of persevering as the means to achieve triumph, rather than directly stating the success.

victory after struggle

Highlights the struggle preceding the victory, emphasizing the difficulty overcome.

success born of dedication

Highlights dedication as the origin of success, offering a more poetic tone.

hard-achieved goal

Focuses on the achievement of a specific goal through difficulty.

fruit of labor

Uses a metaphorical expression to represent the outcome of hard work.

FAQs

How can I use "hard earned success" in a sentence?

You can use "hard earned success" to describe an achievement that required significant effort, such as "After years of study, she finally celebrated her hard-earned success".

What are some alternatives to "hard earned success"?

Alternatives include "well-deserved achievement", "triumph through perseverance", or "earned accomplishment", each with slightly different connotations.

Is there a difference between "hard earned success" and "easy success"?

"Hard earned success" emphasizes the effort and difficulty involved in achieving a goal, while "easy success" suggests the achievement was attained with little effort or struggle. The opposite is something like a stroke of luck or accidental victory.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "hard earned success"?

Use "hard earned success" when you want to highlight the dedication, effort, and perseverance required to achieve a particular goal or outcome. For example, "Their promotion was a result of hard earned success and years of service".