have a hard time
idiom
: to experience difficulty doing something
She's having a hard time living within her budget.
The school has had a hard time recruiting substitute teachers.
He's been having a hard time with his research paper.
Examples of have a hard time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Younger plants will have a hard time handling cold snaps.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2025
In August, a study by Stanford University found entry-level workers between the ages of 22 and 25 are increasingly having a hard time finding a job, and the effect is worse for those in sectors being upended by AI like software engineering.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
Bourne and Purdy had a hard time connecting in Sunday’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, with Bourne dropping three passes.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Some moments in treatment were so painful that Alisha even has a hard time looking back on them now.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for have a hard time
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Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2025
In August, a study by Stanford University found entry-level workers between the ages of 22 and 25 are increasingly having a hard time finding a job, and the effect is worse for those in sectors being upended by AI like software engineering.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
Bourne and Purdy had a hard time connecting in Sunday’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, with Bourne dropping three passes.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Some moments in treatment were so painful that Alisha even has a hard time looking back on them now.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for have a hard time
Cite this Entry
“Have a hard time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/have%20a%20hard%20time. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.
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