HARD KNOCKS

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does hard knocks mean? 

• HARD KNOCKS (noun)
  The noun HARD KNOCKS has 1 sense:

1. a state of misfortune or affliction

  Familiarity information: HARD KNOCKS used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HARD KNOCKS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A state of misfortune or affliction

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

adversity; hard knocks; hardship

Context example:

a life of hardship

Hypernyms ("hard knocks" is a kind of...):

bad luck; ill luck; misfortune; tough luck (an unfortunate state resulting from unfavorable outcomes)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "hard knocks"):

ill-being (lack of prosperity or happiness or health)

catastrophe; disaster (a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune)

extremity (an extreme condition or state (especially of adversity or disease))

distress (a state of adversity (danger or affliction or need))

affliction (a state of great suffering and distress due to adversity)

victimization (adversity resulting from being made a victim)

low-water mark; nadir (an extreme state of adversity; the lowest point of anything)

 Context examples 

Amy was asked, but Jo was not, which was fortunate for all parties, as her elbows were decidedly akimbo at this period of her life, and it took a good many hard knocks to teach her how to get on easily.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)