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.

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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

But if you are pressed for time, grab some store-bought cooked beets.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 28, 2022

“You’re pressed for time, I understand. It will be short.”

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri