- Home
- Idioms
- drive a hard bargain
drive a hard bargain
drive a hard bargain
to work hard to negotiate prices or agreements in one's own favor. All right, sir, you drive a hard bargain. I'll sell you this car for $12,450. You drive a hard bargain, Jane, but I'll sign the contract.
drive a hard bargain
to make someone agree to an arrangement that benefits you The bank was able to drive a hard bargain because the company badly needed cash.
drive a hard bargain
to demand a lot or refuse to give much when making an agreement with someone I'm impressed that you got £2000 for that car. You certainly drive a hard bargain.
drive a hard bargain
Be severe in negotiating a transaction, make an agreement to one's advantage. For example, It's more than I planned to pay, but you drive a hard bargain. This expression, first recorded in 1836, uses the verb drive in the sense of "forcefully carry through."