hard time

noun

US

: a long or difficult prison sentence

He could be facing hard time for his crimes.

Examples of hard time in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Page Six also spoke to body language expert Susan Constantine about that very appearance, and reported that Meghan seemed to be having a hard time. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 Nov. 2026

The sisters say their mom stole kids’ clothes for them during an especially hard time after her divorce. — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026

Tribes along the coast who were coerced into building the missions, including the Gabrielino, have had an especially hard time gaining recognition. — Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Research suggests that having an especially hard time with uncertainty is associated with many anxiety and related disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for hard time

• airtime
• bedtime
• daytime
• downtime
• enzyme
• halftime
• lifetime
• longtime
• lunchtime
• mealtime
• meantime
• nighttime