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
Was going through a hard time last year and picked a card that honestly resonated with me so well in the moment.
—
Maggie Penman The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026
This all comes as The Daily Mail recently reported that the two are having a hard time.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 21 Mar. 2026
Kippes was having a hard time breathing, but there wasn't any blood or other obvious signs of trauma.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 16 Mar. 2026
My younger daughter, who was at a friend’s house when this all went down, had an unusually hard time going to bed.
—Nicole Frehsee Mazur, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hard time
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Maggie Penman The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026
This all comes as The Daily Mail recently reported that the two are having a hard time.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 21 Mar. 2026
Kippes was having a hard time breathing, but there wasn't any blood or other obvious signs of trauma.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 16 Mar. 2026
My younger daughter, who was at a friend’s house when this all went down, had an unusually hard time going to bed.
—Nicole Frehsee Mazur, Rolling Stone, 13 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 26 Mar. 2026.
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