give someone a hard time

verb

To cause difficulty or make trouble for someone.

“He's usually pretty good-natured when the children give him a hard time about his bald spot.”

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Meanings

verbgive someone a hard time (third-person singular simple present gives someone a hard time, present participle giving someone a hard time, simple past gave someone a hard time, past participle given someone a hard time)

present singular third person gives someone a hard time · participle present giving someone a hard time · past gave someone a hard time · participle past given someone a hard time

  1. idiomaticinformalTo cause difficulty or make trouble for someone.

    During WWII, German troops gave the Allies a hard time in Italy, but eventually the Allies broke through.

  2. idiomaticinformalTo tease, kid or rib someone.

    He's usually pretty good-natured when the children give him a hard time about his bald spot.

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 給……帶來麻煩 /给……带来麻烦, 為難 /为难
  • 給……帶來麻煩 /给……带来麻烦 (gěi... dàilái máfan)cause difficulty or make trouble for someone
  • 為難 /为难 (wéinán)cause difficulty or make trouble for someone
  • 戲弄 /戏弄 (xìnòng)tease, kid or rib someone
  • 取笑 (qǔxiào)tease, kid or rib someone
  • 欺負 /欺负 (qīfù)tease, kid or rib someone
Finnish pitää kovilla, kiusoitella
  • pitää kovillacause difficulty or make trouble for someone
  • kiusoitellatease, kid or rib someone
Polish przysparzać kłopotów, przysporzyć kłopotów
  • przysparzać kłopotówcause difficulty or make trouble for someone
  • przysporzyć kłopotówcause difficulty or make trouble for someone
  • besztaćtease, kid or rib someone
  • zbesztaćtease, kid or rib someone
Romanian îi da cuiva bătăi de cap, da de furcă cuiva
  • îi da cuiva bătăi de capcause difficulty or make trouble for someone
  • da de furcă cuivacause difficulty or make trouble for someone
  • face cuiva zile friptecause difficulty or make trouble for someone
Russian усложнять кому-либо жизнь, приставать
  • усложнять кому-либо жизнь (usložnjatʹ komu-libo žiznʹ)cause difficulty or make trouble for someone
  • приставать (pristavatʹ)cause difficulty or make trouble for someone
  • доставать (dostavatʹ)cause difficulty or make trouble for someone
Spanish hacérselo pasar mal a alguien
  • hacérselo pasar mal a alguiencause difficulty or make trouble for someone
Cite this entry
APA

give someone a hard time. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20someone%20a%20hard%20time

MLA

“give someone a hard time.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20someone%20a%20hard%20time. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “give someone a hard time,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20someone%20a%20hard%20time.

Source: give someone a hard time on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.