hard case

¹ American  

noun

1. a rough, hard-bitten person.

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hard-case ² American  

[hahrd-keys] / ˈhɑrdˌkeɪs /

adjective

1. rough and hard-bitten.

   hard-case juvenile delinquents.

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Etymology

Origin of hard case¹

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

Origin of hard-case²

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Kieron Moore’s Slovacek is the hard case who is in the Corps to avoid prison.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

The chief judge of the 5th Circuit, Priscilla Richman, wrote the majority opinion and basically just quoted big chunks of the Supreme Court’s 2012 decision to show that this is not a hard case.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2024

“Given the nature of what happened here, the use of a search function to look at tweets, I think that’s a hard case to make,” Quinn said.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 29, 2024

He’s alienated from Paul, a hard case thick with sarcasm and hobbies he can’t relate to.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2023

Clayton pointed to the hard case on wheels with a head and a body, which looked like a little brother leaning into his taller sister.

From "Clayton Byrd Goes Underground" by Rita Williams-Garcia