hard-pressed

American  

[hahrd-prest] / ˈhɑrdˈprɛst /

Or hardpressed

adjective

1. heavily burdened or oppressed, as by overwork or financial difficulties; harried; put-upon.

   Synonyms:

   beleaguered

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hard-pressed British  

adjective

1. in difficulties

   the swimmer was hard-pressed

2. subject to severe competition

3. subject to severe attack

4. closely pursued

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hard pressed Idioms  

1. Overburdened, put upon, as in With all these bills to pay we find ourselves hard pressed. [c. 1800]

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Etymology

Origin of hard-pressed

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

Bull and bear markets come and go in long waves, but you would be hard-pressed to get that cautionary news from the average Wall Street stock salesman.

From MarketWatch

Improving the well-being of hard-pressed working-class Americans, a central challenge of our time, must rest on more realistic assumptions.

From The Wall Street Journal

The company will be hard-pressed to meet the March 2027 schedule.

From The Wall Street Journal

But more significant for hard-pressed Iranians struggling to feed their families has been the impact of sanctions.

From BBC

I’m happy to give the Australians their due, but I’m hard-pressed to see how their design offers any guidance to improving the U.S. system.

From MarketWatch