hard-luck
Plagued by misfortune
Hard-luck describes someone or something persistently unfortunate, plagued by bad breaks rather than bad choices: a hard-luck case, a hard-luck story.
The compound usually modifies nouns and carries a tone of sympathy, though a hard-luck story can also be a tale of woe meant to elicit pity or money.
Severe difficulty or suffering
- setbackReverse in progress
- woeGreat sorrow or distress
- calamitySevere misfortune or disaster
- troubleDifficulty or distress
disaster · plight · affliction · tribulation · downturn · misadventure · catastrophe · distress
Afflicted with misfortune
- cursedUnder a malevolent spell
- ill-fatedDestined to fail
- unfortunateDeserving of pity
- haplessLacking good fortune
snakebit · star-crossed · doomed · ill-starred · woebegone · blighted · hexed · accident-prone
Durable and strong
- resilientAble to recover quickly
- scrappyAggressively spirited despite odds
- tenaciousStubbornly determined to continue
- determinedFirmly committed to purpose
gritty · survivor · battle-scarred · grizzled · stoic · unflinching · steadfast · plucky
adversity
Severe difficulty or suffering
trouble · disaster · plight · affliction · tribulation · downturn · misadventure · catastrophe · distress · reversal
jinxed
Afflicted with misfortune
- cursedUnder a malevolent spell
- ill-fatedDestined to fail
- unfortunateDeserving of pity
hapless · snakebit · star-crossed · doomed · ill-starred · woebegone · blighted · hexed · accident-prone · crossed
tough
Durable and strong
- resilientAble to recover quickly
- scrappyAggressively spirited despite odds
- tenaciousStubbornly determined to continue
determined · gritty · survivor · battle-scarred · grizzled · stoic · unflinching · steadfast · plucky · undaunted
striving
Earnest sustained endeavor
effort · uphill · fight · hustle · scrabble · hand-to-mouth · bootstrapping · clawing · surviving
hard-luckprivileged
Having special advantages
advantaged · well-born · golden boy · golden girl · have it easy
hard-luckgolden boy
Favored person destined for success
golden girl · fair-haired · favorite son · success story · Cinderella story
hard, luck, harder, hardest, harden, hardened, hardening, hardness, hardy