| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
| hard sell |
using much pressure to sell, trying hard to convince the customer
to buy, soft sell
|
He was giving us the hard sell. He almost forced us to sign the contract.
|
| hard skill |
skill that can be measured, track record
|
I think we should offer the position to Linda. Look at the
hard skills listed on her resume!
|
| hard stuff |
(See hard liquor)
|
|
| hard times |
a time of poverty and drought and famine
|
We endured hard times in the 1930s. We were all poor.
|
| hard to believe |
not easy to believe, difficult to believe
|
It's hard to believe that you're a grandfather. You look so young.
|
| hard to get |
(See play hard to get)
|
|
| hard to swallow |
hard to accept, hard to take
|
She said, "He has custody of the children. It's hard to swallow."
|
| hard to take |
difficult to tolerate, hard to swallow
|
Her cruel words hurt me. Her sarcasm is hard to take.
|
| hard up |
poor, unable to pay, in the poorhouse
|
After the war, our family was so hard up we couldn't buy meat.
|
| hardware |
computer machines and accessories
|
The printer is an important part of your computer hardware.
|