# give someone a hard time

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/give-someone-a-hard-time
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To cause difficulty or make trouble for someone.

## Examples

- Please stop giving me a hard time about my mistake.
- My boss gave me a hard time because I arrived at the office ten minutes late.
- Although he had worked diligently to finish the project, his colleagues continued to give him a hard time regarding the minor errors in the final report.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.