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
Newborns and frail older people often have a hard time coughing up the mucus, Hopkins says.
—
Liz Szabo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2025
The actress had a hard time slumbering after her week one mistakes, and now she’s expected to do a cartwheel into splits after tearing her hamstring?
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2025
There weren’t closeups, the stage was pretty dark, and much of the stadium audience had a hard time seeing him clearly, but these were major concessions given his history.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 22 Sep. 2025
But if the Princess of Wales is indeed having a hard time adjusting to life post-cancer, then time is probably the only thing that will help.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for have a hard time
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Liz Szabo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2025
The actress had a hard time slumbering after her week one mistakes, and now she’s expected to do a cartwheel into splits after tearing her hamstring?
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2025
There weren’t closeups, the stage was pretty dark, and much of the stadium audience had a hard time seeing him clearly, but these were major concessions given his history.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 22 Sep. 2025
But if the Princess of Wales is indeed having a hard time adjusting to life post-cancer, then time is probably the only thing that will help.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 20 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 29 Sep. 2025.
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