A person who is cynical, hostile, or difficult to work with or be around. John can be a bit of a hard case when you first meet him, but he's actually a very decent guy once you get to know him.I heard they're sending a real hard case to evaluate our appeal, so I don't know how good our chances are.
a hard case
1 a tough or intractable person. 2 an amusing or eccentric person. Australian & New Zealand
hard case
1. n. a case of liquor. Pete wanted a hard case delivered to his house.
2. n. a person who is a real problem. Jed has turned into a hard case. He’s fighting us at every turn.