Slang dictionary
hard in the paint
[ hahrd in thuh peynt ]
What does hard in the paint mean?
Originating in basketball, hard in the paint is a slang expression for giving one’s full effort.
Where does hard in the paint come from?
Hard in the paint comes from basketball slang. In the sport, the paint, also called the key or free throw lane, refers to the rectangular lane underneath the hoop on a basketball court. It’s often shaded or painted (as with team colors), hence the name, recorded since the 1980s.
Because more shots are made closer to the net, the paint sees a lot of action in a game, so players going for baskets in the paint need to be aggressive in their efforts—or go hard, to use another slang phrase.
To go hard in the paint spread from the court to youth slang for “to give it one’s best” in the early 2000s, likely due to the role of basketball in youth culture.
damn, y'all goin hard in the paint! i can't even keep up cuz the bishes keep callin (i'm at work)
— Victoria (@Kaliente) August 26, 2008
at work bored and half sleep…i went hard in the paint over the weekend…
— Ramirez Willis (@remyskee) August 11, 2008
It rose to further prominence in 2010 when rapper Waka Flocka Flame released his track “Hard in da Paint,” where he boasts he goes hard in the paint to beat his rivals. The single gave the slang expression a huge boost in popular culture.
Examples of hard in the paint
Who uses hard in the paint?
One can go hard in the paint in a variety of contexts. Athletics. Academics. Extracurriculars. It’s a colorful and versatile expression for “going all out.”
Teams went hard in the paint on Day 2 @EuropeRegional pic.twitter.com/PblT5p7vTX
— CrossFit (@CrossFit) May 19, 2018
When you go out with a group of friends and that one friend goes a little too hard in the paint 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/8p7CSMUWR2
— Brandon aka Tigger (@TiggroAmigo) July 29, 2018
This Mario on WII going hard in the paint!
— Michael Oher (@MichaelOher) November 30, 2010
Note
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