Meaning of Idiom ‘No Hard Feelings’
No hard feelings means there is no residual anger, resentment, or hostility. 1,2
Sentence Examples
“No hard feelings, okay? It was just a misunderstanding.”
“Sorry about getting testy with you yesterday. I hope there are no hard feelings.”
“I can’t invite everyone to the wedding. I hope there aren’t any hard feelings.”
“He was trying to save you, see?” “Save me?” “So there’s no hard feelings.” The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
“No hard feelings, right? If I can help you, let me know.” The Godfather: Part II (1974)
“What I’m about to propose is highly lucrative and highly dangerous. If that’s not your brand of vodka, eat as much as you like and have a safe journey. No hard feelings. Otherwise, come with me.” Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
“No hard feelings, Weasley, alright?” “Hard feelings?” “Yeah, I’ll be going out for Keeper’s, well, it’s… nothing personal.” Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
“I just want to say I feel terrible about earlier. I don’t want any hard feelings. So I figured, why not be the bigger man and just give you a call.” Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
“Listen, I’m not expecting you to take this on. I mean, it’s not like we’re married or anything. So, you know, if you have to bail, then you should. No hard feelings.” 50/50 (2011)
Origin
Used since at least the 1840s.
The word hard is used in this idiom to mean severe or harsh. It has been used in this sense since A.D. 1000. 3
More ‘Hard’ Idioms
References
- Brenner, Gail. Webster’s New World American Idioms Handbook. John Wiley & Sons, 2011.
- Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
- Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.