hard-pressed

adjective

ˈhärd-ˈprest 

: hard put

They were hard-pressed to prove any of their claims.

also : being under financial strain

a financially hard-pressed school system

Synonyms of hard-pressed

• perplexed
• baffled
• bewildered
• embarrassed

Examples of hard-pressed in a Sentence

they will be hard-pressed to come up with any facts that actually support their argument

Recent Examples on the Web

Dislodging these forces from the machinery of the state has been neither swift nor straightforward, and even those most anxious for change are hard-pressed to offer practical solutions. — Will Freeman, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026

With Stewart and Wilson most likely leading the way at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, teams will be hard-pressed to end this run by the Americans. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026

By connecting themselves to the biggest names and events in culture, prediction-market platforms are cementing a place in history that future regulation will be hard-pressed to change. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026

If Vancouver can sustain that level of consistent threat on the power play, the Canucks will be hard-pressed to remain at the bottom of the standings. — Thomas Drance, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hard-pressed

• acquiesced
• coalesced
• dispossessed
• manifest
• overdressed
• overstressed
• prepossessed
• reassessed
• reinvest
• repossessed
• unaddressed
• uncompressed