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

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

He noted the commission is pressed for time: Come July 1, the state will be only about 16 months away from a presidential election.

From Salon • Jun. 15, 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