🗓️ Idiom: Drive a Hard Bargain (v)
💬 Meaning
- To negotiate strictly so that you get favorable terms.
- To make demands or conditions that are tough but fair.
🧠 Example Sentences
- She knows how to drive a hard bargain in contract talks.
- Suppliers who drive a hard bargain often get better prices.
- He drove a hard bargain but still maintained a good relationship with the client.
🏛️ Origin
This idiom comes from trade and commerce. To “drive a bargain” originally meant to push hard during bargaining. Over time, “drive a hard bargain” emphasized being tough and firm in negotiations. It has been used in English since the 1800s.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
During the meeting, our side __________ a hard bargain to achieve lower costs.
Answer
drove
2. Multiple choice:
What does “drive a hard bargain” mean?
a) To offer very little in a deal
b) To negotiate with firmness and get favorable terms
c) To refuse to negotiate at all
Answer
b) To negotiate with firmness and get favorable terms
3. Change the sentence using drive a hard bargain:
The buyer insisted on very strict terms during the negotiation.
Answer
The buyer drove a hard bargain.
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