hard case

¹ American  

noun

1. a rough, hard-bitten person.

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hard-case ² American  

[hahrd-keys] / ˈhɑrdˌkeɪs /

adjective

1. rough and hard-bitten.

   hard-case juvenile delinquents.

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Etymology

Origin of hard case¹

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

Origin of hard-case²

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

It really comes down to finding hard evidence of this — and that’s a hard case to prove.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

Kieron Moore’s Slovacek is the hard case who is in the Corps to avoid prison.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

The chief judge of the 5th Circuit, Priscilla Richman, wrote the majority opinion and basically just quoted big chunks of the Supreme Court’s 2012 decision to show that this is not a hard case.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2024

“This is a hard case for me,” Lamberth said.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 4, 2024

If you don’t know how, you can end up out of control or controlled by some outside thing like that hard case last winter.

From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison