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
Cole found that he was still traumatized by the abuse and had a hard time concentrating.
—
Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
A lot of people have a hard time separating the actor from the character.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2026
Babies had a hard time sleeping.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
The series has had a hard time keeping a creative team in place with five showrunners in as many seasons.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hard time
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Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
A lot of people have a hard time separating the actor from the character.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2026
Babies had a hard time sleeping.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
The series has had a hard time keeping a creative team in place with five showrunners in as many seasons.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hard time
Cite this Entry
“Hard time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard%20time. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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