hard road
Challenging journey ahead
A hard road is a difficult path or challenging course of action, usually figurative: It's been a hard road, but we're finally seeing results.
The phrase emphasizes prolonged struggle rather than a single obstacle—recovery, career advancement, or personal growth that requires sustained effort.
She took the hard road to sobriety.
- roughUneven in surface
- rough patchDifficult period experienced
- pavementHard road covering
- gravelLoose small rock fragments
- dirt trackUnpaved racing course
struggle · tough going · journey · long haul · uphill · uphill battle · rocky · dirt · bumpy · trail · beaten path · asphalt · difficult · path · steep · winding · pothole · dusty
difficulty of path/journey
hard roadeasy street
State of financial security
easy path · smooth sailing · path of least resistance · easy way · easy ride
hard, road, harder, hardest, harden, hardened, hardening, hardness, hardly