hard-pressed

adjective

ˈhärd-ˈprest 

: hard put

also : being under financial strain

Synonyms

• baffled
• confounded
• hard put
• nonplussed
• nonplused
• perplexed

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

But Alfredo Garcia, a law professor at St. Thomas University College of Law in Florida, said prosecutors would be hard-pressed to prove criminal charges against Laundrie’s mother beyond a reasonable doubt. —Ray Sanchez, CNN, 27 May 2023

Even with the various reasons for taking on more than one job (e.g., dealing with the impacts of inflation, debt, etc.), employers would be hard-pressed to find employees who are successfully managing multiple full-time jobs. —Pat Calhoun, Forbes, 4 May 2023

Exposure changes everything Ten years ago, flipping the channels or even scrolling on YouTube’s homepage, Asian American kids would be hard-pressed to find one or two famous faces from the community. —Sakshi Venkatraman, NBC News, 1 May 2023

Find it: Armandos, 2630 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77098; 713-520-1738 Backstreet Cafe Diners are hard-pressed to find a table at this River Oaks restaurant during Houston's elusive patio weather season. —Gabi De La Rosa, Chron, 15 Apr. 2023

Someone from Mexico City or Madrid sitting at the next table could be hard-pressed to follow their rare dialect. —Simon Romero Desiree Rios, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2023

Join us on Twitter and Facebook Too many Americans are hard-pressed, for instance, to see how their lives have improved when Democrats hold political power in this country. —Roxanne Jones, CNN, 9 Apr. 2023

Any judge who encounters him in court––in New York or beyond––will be hard-pressed to prevent the former President from issuing threats of violence. —David Remnick, The New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2023

Michigan schools might be particularly hard-pressed to find funding to keep buildings from falling apart. —Detroit Free Press, 27 Mar. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined above