give\ a\ hard\ time

give\ a\ hard\ time
v. phr. informal
1. To give trouble by what you do or say; complain.

Jane gave her mother a hard time on the bus by fighting with her sister and screaming.

Don't give me a hard time, George. I'm doing my best on this job.

Compare: give fits
2. To get in the way by teasing or playing; kid.

Don't give me a hard time, boys. I'm trying to study.

Compare: act up, in one's hair

Словарь американских идиом. — СПб., Изд-во "Лань". . 1997.

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  • give a hard time — give (someone) a hard time : to criticize or annoy someone They gave him a hard time about quitting the team. • • • Main Entry: ↑hard give (someone) a hard time see ↑hard, 1 • • • Main Entry: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • give a hard time — {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To give trouble by what you do or say; complain. * /Jane gave her mother a hard time on the bus by fighting with her sister and screaming./ * /Don t give me a hard time, George. I m doing my best on this job./ Compare:… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • give a hard time — {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To give trouble by what you do or say; complain. * /Jane gave her mother a hard time on the bus by fighting with her sister and screaming./ * /Don t give me a hard time, George. I m doing my best on this job./ Compare:… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • give a hard time — make trouble for someone, tease She was giving her boyfriend a hard time about his new haircut …   Idioms and examples

  • hard time — noun 1. a difficulty that can be overcome with effort (Freq. 1) we had a hard time getting here analysts predicted rough sledding for handset makers • Syn: ↑rough sledding • Hypernyms: ↑difficulty 2. a term served in a m …   Useful english dictionary

  • hard time — 1. a period of difficulties or hardship. 2. Slang. time actually served in a prison or other penal institution: He had merely been fined before, but now was sentenced to 90 days hard time in the county jail. 3. give a hard time, Informal. to… …   Universalium

  • give someone a hard time — informal phrase to be unpleasant to someone, or to criticize them a lot Has Luke been giving you a hard time? Thesaurus: to be cruel or unkind to someonesynonym to criticize, accuse or blamesynonym Main entry …   Useful english dictionary

  • give (someone) a hard time — 1. to criticize someone and make them feel guilty about something that they have done. I came home late one night last week and she s been giving me a hard time about it ever since. (often + about) 2. to treat someone severely or to cause… …   New idioms dictionary

  • give somebody a hard time — give sb a hard ˈtime idiom to deliberately make a situation difficult and unpleasant for sb • They really gave me a hard time at the interview. Main entry: ↑hardidiom …   Useful english dictionary

  • hard time — n. (colloq.) 1) to give smb. a hard time ( to make things difficult for smb. ) 2) (misc.) we had a hard time finding her * * * (misc.) we had a hard time finding her (colloq.) to give smb. a hard time ( to make things difficult for smb. ) …   Combinatory dictionary

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