hard-pressed

IPA/ˌhɑːd ˈprest/
IPA/ˌhɑːrd ˈprest/

hard-pressed — adjective

1. in a difficult situation where you are struggling to meet demands or get things

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

in a difficult situation where you are struggling to meet demands or get things done, usually because there is too little time or money available

Example

Hard-pressed families in the city struggle to pay their rent each month.

attributive use: hard-pressed families

After the factory closed, many workers were hard-pressed to find new jobs.

hard-pressed + to-infinitive pattern

Common collocations
  • hard-pressed + to-infinitive (to find, to pay, to keep, to explain)
  • hard-pressed + by (rising costs, the recession, an outbreak)
  • hard-pressed + for (time, money, cash, resources)
  • attributive: hard-pressed (families, workers, farmers, businesses, homeowners)
Synonyms
  • struggling

    more general; can describe effort without specifying external constraints

  • under pressure

    emphasises the external demands or deadlines pressing on someone

  • in difficulty

    slightly more formal; often used in financial contexts

  • hard up

    informal; specifically refers to having very little money

Antonyms
  • well-off

    having plenty of money or resources

  • at ease

    free from worry or pressure

Grammar Patterns

hard-pressed + to-infinitive

hard-pressed + by + [cause]

hard-pressed + for + [resource]

attributive: hard-pressed + noun

Usage Note

Common in news reports and everyday speech about financial or time constraints. Frequently appears in the pattern 'hard-pressed to do something', which emphasises how difficult an action is. Can be used both before a noun (attributive) and after verbs like 'be', 'feel', or 'seem' (predicative).

Common Mistakes

I am hard-pressed of time.
I am hard-pressed for time.
The correct preposition after 'hard-pressed' when referring to a missing resource is 'for', not 'of'.
She was hard-pressed to passed the exam.
She was hard-pressed to pass the exam.
After 'hard-pressed to', always use the base form of the verb, not the past tense.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Hard-pressed, struggling, under pressure, and in difficulty all describe situations where a person faces serious challenges. Hard-pressed is the most specific — it ties the difficulty directly to a shortage of time or money, and often appears with a to-infinitive ('hard-pressed to find a solution'). Struggling is broader: you can struggle because a task is physically hard, emotionally draining, or simply new ('struggling to learn Mandarin'). Under pressure focuses on external demands — deadlines, expectations, or people pushing you — rather than on your own limited resources. In difficulty is the most neutral and formal option, commonly used in financial or institutional contexts ('the company is in difficulty'). Example: 'Hard-pressed by rising rents, the family moved to a smaller flat.' 'Struggling with the heavy workload, she asked for help.' 'Under pressure from investors, the CEO resigned.' 'The hospital is in difficulty after budget cuts.'

hard-pressed ↗struggling ↗under pressure ↗in difficulty

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • hard-pressed to find
  • hard-pressed to pay
  • hard-pressed to keep

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishLatinFrenchEnglish

Hard-pressed first appeared in the mid-1800s as a compound of 'hard' (meaning severely or with great effort) and 'pressed' (pushed with force, from Latin 'pressare'). The original use described someone physically crushed or crowded; by the late 19th century it had broadened to its modern figurative sense — facing severe difficulty, especially from a lack of time or money.