hardships faced

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "hardships faced" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when discussing challenges or difficulties encountered by individuals or groups. For example, "The report highlighted the hardships faced by the community during the crisis." Alternative expressions include "challenges encountered," "difficulties experienced," and "struggles endured."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

I don't mean to minimize the hardships faced by American families.

The New York Times

The Committee reported to CSCE with information about the hardships faced by scientists, particularly refuseniks.

Columbia University

But your emphasis on luxury misses the many hardships faced by these communities.

The New York Times - Travel

His purpose is to humanise the coffee experience by bringing to life the hardships faced by labourers.

The Economist

But 20 minutes into their PowerPoint presentation on the hardships faced by new graduates, the judges grew restless.

The New York Times

Mrs. Smith's experience also gives an idea of the hardships faced by those who have the surgery.

The New York Times

"We must continue to do all we can to ease the hardships faced by Iraq's people," she said.

The New York Times

They spoke of canceled afterschool programs, closed counseling centers, and new hardships faced by the county's poorest residents.

The New York Times

Despite hardships faced by workers paid by the hour, office workers have rejoiced at the new law.

The Guardian

Use a newspaper or TV story to encourage your child to think about hardships faced by children in another country.

The Washington Post

It was a dramatic introduction to the hardships faced by people desperate for a new life in the United States.

The Washington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair this phrase with the preposition "by" to clearly identify the group or individual affected (e.g. "the hardships faced by refugees").

Common error

Avoid using tautologies like "difficult hardships faced", as a hardship is inherently difficult. Additionally, ensure the agent (who is facing the hardship) is not left ambiguous, as this can weaken the impact of your statement in professional writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hardships faced" functions as a noun phrase where "hardships" serves as the head noun and "faced" is a past participle acting as a post-positive modifier. This structure is effectively a reduced relative clause meaning "hardships which are/were faced". Ludwig AI confirms this usage is standard in objective reporting.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Academia

25%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Science

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "hardships faced" is a robust and highly versatile expression used to describe significant life difficulties. Ludwig data shows that it is particularly prevalent in high-quality journalism and academic writing, where it serves as a bridge between factual reporting and human empathy. It is grammatically correct and functions as a noun phrase modified by a past participle. While it is synonymous with terms like "challenges encountered" or "adversities faced", it carries a specific weight that suggests actual suffering or deprivation rather than just a hurdle to be jumped. Whether used in a social policy report or a personal narrative, it effectively identifies the struggles of a community while maintaining a professional and respectful tone.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

difficulties faced

Uses a more generic term that is less emotionally charged than hardship.

challenges encountered

More common in professional or growth-oriented contexts, suggesting obstacles that can be overcome.

adversities faced

More formal and often refers to a series of unfortunate events or hostile conditions.

struggles endured

Emphasizes the internal effort and the length of time the difficulty lasted.

privations faced

Specifically refers to the lack of basic necessities like food, water or shelter.

trials faced

Suggests a period of testing or significant personal ordeal.

problems faced

A simpler, more direct alternative often used for specific, localized issues.

hindrances faced

Refers to things that delay or obstruct progress rather than general suffering.

predicaments faced

Suggests being in a difficult, unpleasant or embarrassing situation.

tribulations faced

A more literary or dramatic term for great trouble or suffering.

FAQs

What does "hardships faced" mean?

It refers to the severe suffering or deprivation that individuals or groups have encountered. For a slightly more neutral tone, you might use "difficulties experienced".

Can I say "challenges faced" instead?

Yes, "challenges faced" is a very common alternative. It is often preferred in business or self-improvement contexts where the focus is on overcoming the obstacle.

Is "hardships faced" grammatically correct?

Yes, it is perfectly correct. It is a noun phrase where "faced" acts as a reduced relative clause (short for "hardships that were faced").

What is a more emotional way to say this?

If you want to emphasize the pain or persistence of the situation, consider using "struggles endured" or "adversities faced".