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Glite Dictionary
to have a hard time

to have a hard time

241 3.7
Find something difficult to do
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : tener dificultades
  • Dyslexia means being smart and having a hard time learning to read.
  • have a hard time keeping
  • have a hard time getting
  • have a hard time finding

Again, I have a hard time with my knuckles.

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Examples

  • And some of us have a hard time answering that.

    Anything Goes With James English

  • I thought I was the only one having a hard time sleeping.

    Here (2024)

  • People have a hard time facing the other.

  • But a lot of people have a hard time using this in real life.

  • It's hard to explain, but I really have a hard time meeting new people.

    Academic text (1997)

  • I was just like, I was really having a hard time processing things.

    Shawn Ryan Show

  • However, he had a hard time receiving love from other people.

  • Despite her access to land, however, she still had a hard time securing the necessary labor.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Businesses have gone elsewhere as they have a hard time attracting talented professionals to work in the region.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Do you have a hard time making friends or connecting with people?

Synonyms

to struggle
vsto have a hard time
851 2.8

To try very hard to do or deal with something difficult

describes experiencing difficulty rather than emphasizing effort
to have a problem
vsto have a hard time
824 2.6

Find something difficult or annoying

is a broader phrase for having overall difficulty or struggle
to tough
vsto have a hard time
45 5.1

To keep going through something difficult without giving up

emphasizes experiencing difficulty or struggle rather than endurance
to go through all that trouble
vsto have a hard time
3 6.0

To do a lot of extra work or face problems for a small thing

simply denotes experiencing difficulty rather than extra or needless effort
rough time of it
vsto have a hard time
  • Informal
2 6.5

A period when someone has many problems

covers difficulty in dealing with something regardless of duration
bad time of it
vsto have a hard time
1 6.1

A time when someone has trouble

focuses on difficulty specifically in coping or handling tasks
to rassle
vsto have a hard time
  • Informal
1 9.9

To struggle with a hard problem or task

means having difficulty but without the informal, physical sense
to do it tough
vsto have a hard time
  • Australian
1 8.5

To live through hard times and keep going

focuses on facing difficulty rather than on enduring without giving up
to have a time of it
vsto have a hard time
  • UK
8.2

Find it very difficult to do something

describes general difficulty or trouble dealing with something
poor time of it
vsto have a hard time
  • UK
7.5

A period when someone has many problems and feels unhappy

refers more broadly to struggling to deal with something
thin time of it
vsto have a hard time
  • UK
9.2

A period when someone has many problems

is the general description of struggling to handle something

Antonyms

easily
∞ 1.0

Without much effort

easy time of it
  • Informal
1 1.7

A situation that is not difficult and needs little effort

How Difficult

to overwhelm
88 3.9
to struggle
851 2.8
to have a hard time
241 3.7

Surface Forms

have a hard time infinitive
had a hard time past
had a hard time past participle
having a hard time present participle
has a hard time third person singular

Morphology

have + a + hard + time

The phrase meaning 'to experience difficulty' is directly compositional from 'have' (to experience), 'hard' (difficult), and 'time' (a period), so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can infer that someone is experiencing a difficult period or difficulty with something. The construction and its logic are common cross-linguistically (e.g. 'avoir du mal', 'tener dificultades'), supporting immediate transparency.

Etymology

Have a hard time paints a picture: a hard time is a period that is difficult to get through, like walking over rough ground. So it means 'to struggle' or 'to find something difficult'.