play hard to get

play hard to get
play hard to get
Fig. to be coy, intentionally shy, and fickle. (Usually refers to someone of the opposite sex.) •

Why can't we go out? Why do you play hard to get?

Sally annoys all the boys because she plays hard to get.

* * *
{v. phr.} To act as if one weren't interested; be fickle; be coy. * /"Professor Brown is playing very hard to get," our dean said, "but I know he will accept our offer and come to teach here."/

Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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  • play hard to get — To make a show of unwillingness to co operate with a view to strengthening one s position • • • Main Entry: ↑play * * * play hard to get informal phrase to pretend not to be interested in someone who you think is sexually attractive in order to… …   Useful english dictionary

  • play hard to get — {v. phr.} To act as if one weren t interested; be fickle; be coy. * / Professor Brown is playing very hard to get, our dean said, but I know he will accept our offer and come to teach here. / …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • play hard to get — If someone plays hard to get, they pretend not to be interewsted or attracted by someone, usually to make the other person increase their efforts …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • play hard to get — ► play hard to get informal deliberately adopt an uninterested attitude. Main Entry: ↑hard …   English terms dictionary

  • play hard to get — pretend you do not care; you do not want him    When Tom invites you to go on a date, you could play hard to get …   English idioms

  • play\ hard\ to\ get — v. phr. To act as if one weren t interested; be fickle; be coy. Professor Brown is playing very hard to get, our dean said, but I know he will accept our offer and come to teach here …   Словарь американских идиом

  • play hard to get — informal to pretend that you are less interested in someone than you really are as a way of making them more interested in you, especially at the start of a romantic relationship. Why don t you return any of his calls? Are you playing hard to… …   New idioms dictionary

  • play hard to get — informal deliberately adopt an aloof or uninterested attitude. → hard …   English new terms dictionary

  • play hard to get — verb To be coy; to feign lack of romantical interest in a certain person, so as to force that person to be more overt in expressing interest …   Wiktionary

  • play hard to get — informal to pretend not to be interested in someone who you think is sexually attractive in order to make them more interested in you …   English dictionary

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