Adjective
hard-won (comparative harder-won or more hard-won, superlative hardest-won or most hard-won)
Having been obtained with effort, despite difficulty and hardship.
Deficit reduction is not an end in itself. It is the means to an end. Canadians must now decide what kind of country they want to build with the hard-won dividend. Jean Chrétien
I was trying to find out what it was that everybody else understood without giving up my stubborn and hard-won lack of understanding. David Antin
Brothers in suffering, brothers in resistance, brothers in ideals and conviction. It is now our duty to further strengthen this bond in order to secure this hard-won freedom for future generations. Guy Verhofstadt
The quality that defines us as Americans is the courage to respond to being hit. The courage to root out and destroy the killers. And, most importantly, the courage to hold on to our values and protect our hard-won freedoms while doing it. Nick Clooney
For the profession as a whole, it is necessary that our hard-won understanding of our discipline be handed on to the next generation in a formal way. Brian Campbell Vickery
Population growth and development place additional stress on the Nation's water infrastructure and its ability to sustain hard-won water quality gains. Jerry Costello