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
Retailers are having a hard time separating out exactly what’s causing consumer changes.
—
Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
Despite his star power, Misiorowski’s buddies still give him a hard time.
—Pete Grathoff
april 4, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026
Or the occasion when a girl at school was getting a hard time from some of the boys in her football team.
—Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2026
If your skin begins looking red or pink, your body may be having a hard time keeping up, a good indicator to take a break in the shade.
—Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hard time
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
Despite his star power, Misiorowski’s buddies still give him a hard time.
—Pete Grathoff
april 4, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026
Or the occasion when a girl at school was getting a hard time from some of the boys in her football team.
—Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2026
If your skin begins looking red or pink, your body may be having a hard time keeping up, a good indicator to take a break in the shade.
—Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 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 16 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
