1. a state of misfortune or affliction; - Example: "debt-ridden farmers struggling with adversity" - Example: "a life of hardship" [syn: adversity, hardship, hard knocks]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
hard knocks
n 1: a state of misfortune or affliction; "debt-ridden farmers
struggling with adversity"; "a life of hardship" [syn:
adversity, hardship, hard knocks]