hard time
Americannoun
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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]
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.
I have a hard time seeing the U.S. move the needle much between here and year end—maybe by 100,000 barrels a day.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Those are two criteria that used to be among the most important in the days when humans put together pairings, so you can understand why old-timers are having a hard time adjusting.
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026
Christian described his experience as a humbling experience, saying: "It was a hard time, hard days, but many many people suffering more than me."
From BBC • May 7, 2026
“Retirees have been having a hard time getting a hold of people at Social Security,” said Copeland.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026
“I told her I was, um, having a hard time making friends. And she just said you guys were really cool.”
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
Definitions 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.
