pressed for time

Idioms  

1. In a hurry, as in How long will it take? I'm really pressed for time. This idiom uses press in the sense of “subject to pressure,” a usage dating from the late 1600s.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pressed for time

In any case, Vatican observers agree that Pope Leo is not particularly pressed for time.

From Barron's ● May 6, 2026

Keenan said he’d been pressed for time and left the mess there.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026

I will say that these characters do speak remarkably fast — they can be hard to understand — but they are, after all, almost always pressed for time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2023

In a worst-case scenario where you’re pressed for time, a storage unit is an option.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 21, 2023

“Now, ain’t nothing I’d rather do more’n chat the hours away with y’all; we could tell stories ’bout Big Charlie Bobo for days, but I’m pressed for time.

From "The Journey of Little Charlie" by Christopher Paul Curtis