Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Experiencing great difficulty or distress.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective facing or experiencing trouble or difficulty; ; -- see distressed{1}.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective idiomatic, usually with to-infinitive Barely able.
  • adjective idiomatic Experiencing financial difficulty or difficulty in surviving.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective facing or experiencing financial trouble or difficulty

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • We are hard-pressed to think of many other behaviors that are so common among one half of the population and rare among the other half—maybe carrying a purse.

    American Grace Robert D. Putnam 2010

  • Like English-speakers in any era, Sir John and his fellow anti-inkhornians would have been hard-pressed to avoid borrowed terms.

    The English Is Coming! Leslie Dunton-Downer 2010

  • Aside from subtle scriptural references on the posters, and the contemporary Christian music playing behind the reception desk, an unwitting visitor might be hard-pressed to identify the building as a church.

    American Grace Robert D. Putnam 2010

  • Like English-speakers in any era, Sir John and his fellow anti-inkhornians would have been hard-pressed to avoid borrowed terms.

    The English Is Coming! Leslie Dunton-Downer 2010

  • Without access to the original paperwork, however, "you can really be hard-pressed" to find the information you need, says James H. Guarino , a partner at Boston-area accounting and consulting firm MFA - Moody, Famiglietti & Andronico LLP.

    Tips for Solving the Cost-Basis Mystery Arden Dale 2011

  • The fact of the matter is that Rome, in late summer, is inundated with tourists and the most resourceful traveler would be hard-pressed to escape the hoards of tour groups roaming the city.

    Michael Yarbrough: A Student's Guide to Backpacking: Rome Michael Yarbrough 2011

  • If you had asked me, I think I would have been hard-pressed to explain why I pretended to be sick so much.

    The Dark Side of Innocence Terri Cheney 2011

  • Many distillers are hard-pressed to admit that they even market a white rum.

    Tony Sachs: How To Make A Real Daiquiri - And The Best White Rums To Make It With Tony Sachs 2011

  • Absent an uptick in trading activity, or another run-up in commodity prices, Glencore will be hard-pressed to achieve 2011 earnings of $6.4 billion, as forecast by banks associated with its IPO.

    Glencore's Slow Start Andrew Peaple 2011

  • He believed that long before their ads had run their course, the favorable first impression Morrison had made would have been replaced with the one they wanted: a once reputable officer who spent too much of his retirement hanging out with rich people and advocating their interests over the needs of hard-pressed Americans.

    O: A Presidential Novel Anonymous 2011

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