hard time
Americannoun
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hard times
plural
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a period of difficulties or hardship.
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Slang. time actually served in a prison or other penal institution.
He had merely been fined before, but now was sentenced to 90 days' hard time in the county jail.
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Informal. give a hard time, to bother, annoy, or harass.
He gave me a hard time about the money I owe him.
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Also, hard times . A period of difficulty or hardship, especially financial hardship. For example, Since Mom died, Christmas has been a hard time for Dad , or It's been hard times for both of them since they split up . It is also put as have a hard time , as in I'm having a hard time finishing this book . Charles Dickens used Hard Times as the title of a novel about poverty (1854). A more recent version is have a time of it , which despite its ambiguity (not specifying either “good” or “bad”) nearly always means “experiencing difficulty”; for example, We had quite a time of it in that hurricane . [Late 1300s]
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give someone a hard time . Annoy or harass someone. For example, Don't let him give you a hard time; he's often late himself . [ Colloquial ; early 1900s]
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of hard time
First recorded in 1905–10
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
People in their 50s who end up leaving work to care for their parents often have a hard time saving enough for retirement.
From Barron's ● Nov. 7, 2026
The slower pace of income growth could be one of the reasons people are giving the economy low marks—after inflation, they are having a hard time keeping up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
I mean, I guess it’s conceivable, but I just have a hard time seeing it happen.
From Slate ● Oct. 31, 2026
The board vote comes after Mayor Karen Bass requested that the board suspend disconnections for those who may have a hard time paying their bill.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
I’m having a hard time leaving my parents’ garage; there’s something comforting about this familiar blend of scents.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
