playing hard to get

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiominformal

   Pretending to be uninterested or unavailable in order to make someone want you more.

   Grammar: Verb phrase that changes tense: she played hard to get.

   Patterns

   • play hard to get
   • stop playing hard to get

   He kept playing hard to get, never replying quickly to her messages.

   She's not shy; she's just playing hard to get.

   Stop playing hard to get and tell me if you want to come.

2. 2phraseidiominformal

   Acting reluctant in a deal or negotiation so the other side will offer more.

   Grammar: Used also with companies or sellers: the seller is playing hard to get.

   Patterns

   • play hard to get with someone

   The star player is playing hard to get, hoping for a bigger salary.

   The company played hard to get until the buyer raised its offer.

Word forms

Common combinations

stop playing hard to get

Stop playing hard to get and call him.

just playing hard to get

I think she is just playing hard to get.

keep playing hard to get

He kept playing hard to get for weeks.

accuse someone of playing hard to get

She accused him of playing hard to get.

deliberately playing hard to get

The seller was deliberately playing hard to get.

Synonyms and how they differ

playing coy

Playing coy suggests shyness or pretended innocence, while playing hard to get means pretended unavailability.

leading someone on

Leading someone on means encouraging hope you do not mean, which is more hurtful than a harmless tactic.

playing it cool

Playing it cool means hiding enthusiasm, but not necessarily making yourself unavailable.

Opposites

Word family

hard to get adjective

not easily won

aloof adjective

distant and unfriendly

coy adjective

pretending to be shy

elusive adjective

hard to find or catch

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “playing hard to get”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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