The term featherbedded means pampered or given excessive protection. Its antonyms are rugged, arduous, challenging, and strenuous. Rugged refers to a tough, harsh, and challenging experience that requires significant effort and resilience. Arduous implies extreme difficulty or hardship, requiring strenuous effort or endurance. A challenging job or experience needs aptitude or skill and involves testing circumstances. And, strenuous denotes requiring or using great exertion, such as intense physical activity, effort, or energy. All these antonyms suggest toughness and emphasizing self-reliance. Hence, people who prefer challenges over comforts may choose to seek out rugged or arduous experiences instead of featherbedded, pampered conditions.