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

Even if the bullpen had been perfect after Rodriguez left, the Angels still would have been hard-pressed to win with the current state of their lineup. — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 9 Aug. 2026

The fact that most non-Natives, and many Natives as well, would be hard-pressed to put together a list of Native American foods—that’s colonization in action. — Literary Hub, 20 July 2026

American consumers are hard-pressed to remember a time when inflation wasn’t on their minds. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 19 July 2026

That speaks to a locker room issue that Yzerman, from up top, would be hard-pressed to solve. — Max Bultman, New York Times, 17 July 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