have a hard time (doing something)

to have difficulty doing something.

With all the traffic noise, Mr. Packard had a hard time hearing the reporters' questions.

• a poor relation
• a port of call
• a powder keg
• apple of eye
• apple of someone's eye
• apple of your eye
• apples and oranges
• a pretty kettle of fish
• a prima donna
• a prime mover
• a priori
• a prophet of doom
• a pub crawl
• a put-up job
• a Pyrrhic victory
• a quantum leap
• a queer fish
• a question mark over something
• a queue-jumper
• a quick fix
• a quick one
• a quick study
• a quid pro quo
• a race against the clock
• a race against time