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
Young millennials and Gen Z grads are having a hard time breaking into the world of work.
—
Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
His older brother, Leonard Kibrick, had played the main troublemaker in the series, giving Spanky (George McFarland), Alfalfa (Carl Switzer), Buckwheat (Billie Thomas) and Darla (Darla Hood) a hard time, before Bond replaced him in 1936.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 6 Jan. 2026
Today, the youngest generation in the workforce is Gen Z, people born between 1997 and 2012, and a lot of bosses and organizations are having a hard time managing them.
—Harvard Business Review, 30 Dec. 2025
Landlords may choose not to rent to potential tenants who are having a hard time paying off their student debt.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hard time
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Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
His older brother, Leonard Kibrick, had played the main troublemaker in the series, giving Spanky (George McFarland), Alfalfa (Carl Switzer), Buckwheat (Billie Thomas) and Darla (Darla Hood) a hard time, before Bond replaced him in 1936.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 6 Jan. 2026
Today, the youngest generation in the workforce is Gen Z, people born between 1997 and 2012, and a lot of bosses and organizations are having a hard time managing them.
—Harvard Business Review, 30 Dec. 2025
Landlords may choose not to rent to potential tenants who are having a hard time paying off their student debt.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 29 Dec. 2025
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 15 Jan. 2026.
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