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hard life

[/hɑrd laɪf/]
noun phrasepl: hard lives
vida difícil
1. A life characterized by difficulty, struggle, hardship, and adversity
After losing his job, he had a hard life for several years.
Depois de perder o emprego, ele teve uma vida difícil por vários anos.
2. A life that requires significant effort, endurance, and perseverance to overcome challenges
She came from a hard life but managed to become a successful lawyer.
Ela veio de uma vida difícil, mas conseguiu se tornar uma advogada bem-sucedida.
NYC Slang
rough life; tough go
Synonyms
difficult lifetough lifechallenging lifestruggling lifevida árduavida penosavida sofrida
Antonyms
easy lifecomfortable lifeprivileged lifevida fácilvida confortável

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
vida difícil
Most common and standard usage throughout Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
vida dura
More colloquial, emphasizing toughness
São Paulo
vida difícil / vida pesada
Both terms used; 'vida pesada' implies heaviness of burdens
Portugal
vida árdua / vida penosa
More formal and literary expressions preferred in European Portuguese

Related Idioms & Phrases

life's a grind
life's not easy
a lot on one's plate
a tough row to hoe
life is no bed of roses
não é vida de rosa
a vida não é fácil
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