hardly making ends meet

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "hardly making ends meet" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to someone who is having difficulty affording their basic necessities, such as food, electricity, and rent. For example, "Despite working two jobs, John is still hardly making ends meet."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

His career offered him little solace: he was hardly making ends meet with independent film work that took him away from his wife and children for months at a time, he said.

The New York Times

And monthly bills are a major culprit — 54percentt of Americans report a feeling of hardly making ends meet at the end of each month when bills roll around.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Despite this, the workshop hardly makes ends meet.

The Guardian

This, the authors note, "in a country where many people hardly make ends meet".

The New York Times

Her husband, a retired military man, could hardly make ends meet.

The New York Times

"What will the young people who can hardly make ends meet do if we're suddenly responsible for all that debt?

The New York Times - Travel

"People could hardly make ends meet from the beginning of the revolution," Ali Shakourirad, a member of Parliament from Tehran, told the newspaper Nowruz.

The New York Times

Now, as you say, the problem is what is to be done for people who can hardly make ends meet, who run out of money before their next paycheck arrives.

The New York Times

"In a country where more than 20 million people can hardly make ends meet, the luxurious life of the president is a blatant and cynical challenge to society by a limitless ruler," the authors write.

The Guardian

"We're just making ends meet.

The New York Times

"We were barely making ends meet," he added.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a financial situation, use "hardly making ends meet" to convey that someone is struggling, but not completely failing, to cover their basic expenses. This suggests a precarious financial state.

Common error

Avoid using "hardly making ends meet" if you want to describe someone who is completely unable to pay for necessities. In that case, consider phrases like "unable to make ends meet" or "facing eviction".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hardly making ends meet" functions as a descriptive phrase, typically serving as a predicate complement to describe the state of an individual, family, or entity struggling with financial stability. Ludwig examples confirm its use in depicting difficult economic circumstances.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "hardly making ends meet" describes a precarious financial situation where someone struggles to cover basic expenses. Ludwig AI confirms that it is grammatically correct and suitable for use in written English. While not as common as similar phrases like "barely making ends meet" or "just making ends meet", it is a valuable expression for conveying economic hardship. It is most frequently found in news and media contexts and has a neutral register. To avoid misrepresenting financial situations, ensure you choose the phrase that accurately reflects the degree of difficulty experienced.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Barely making ends meet

Implies a very tight budget, with little to no room for unexpected expenses; emphasizes closeness to financial breaking point.

Just making ends meet

Indicates covering expenses, but with no extra money or savings; focuses on meeting basic needs and implies financial instability.

Struggling to make ends meet

Highlights the difficulty and effort involved in covering basic expenses; emphasizes the active struggle.

Having trouble making ends meet

Focuses on the difficulty and problems in covering basic expenses; emphasizes the problematic aspect.

Finding it hard to make ends meet

Emphasizes the subjective experience of difficulty in managing finances; highlights the perceived effort.

Living hand to mouth

Conveys a sense of extreme financial precarity, where income is immediately spent on basic needs; emphasizes instability.

Scraping by

Indicates surviving on very limited resources; emphasizes resourcefulness and marginal survival.

On a shoestring budget

Describes a very tight budget with minimal spending; emphasizes budget limitations.

Tightening the belt

Implies reducing spending to manage limited resources; emphasizes the active process of cutting back.

Living paycheck to paycheck

Indicates a financial situation where income is spent immediately, leaving no savings; emphasizes financial dependency on each pay period.

FAQs

What does "hardly making ends meet" mean?

The phrase "hardly making ends meet" describes a situation where someone is finding it very difficult to afford basic necessities like food, housing, and utilities, often living on the edge of financial stability.

What can I say instead of "hardly making ends meet"?

You can use alternatives like "barely making ends meet", "just making ends meet", or "struggling to make ends meet depending on the context".

Is it correct to say "hardly make ends meet"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct. The form "hardly make ends meet" is often used when referring to a general situation or a group of people, while "hardly making ends meet" refers to a continuous state or ongoing struggle.

What is the difference between "hardly making ends meet" and "not making ends meet"?

"Hardly making ends meet" implies a struggle to cover basic expenses, but still managing somehow. "Not making ends meet" indicates a complete inability to cover expenses, leading to debt or other financial problems.