Earned with extreme effort (4-3)

I believe the answer is:

hard-won

(Other definitions for hard-won that I've seen before include "Not easily achieved, took a lot of effort" , "Gained with difficulty" , "Gained after much work and effort" , "Having been obtained with effort" .)

I've seen this clue in the LA Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.