hardpressed

Hard-pressed is an adjective meaning under significant pressure or in a difficult situation. It conveys being unable to meet obligations or respond easily. In use, it commonly appears before or after a noun, as in hard-pressed businesses or a budget that is hard pressed to cover costs. It can also be used with a following infinitive: hard-pressed to find a solution.

Etymology and form: the term combines the adjective hard (difficult) with the past participle pressed (under pressure). The usual modern form is hyphenated when used as a compound modifier, hard-pressed, and this hyphenation is typically retained when the phrase modifies a noun. In constructions with a linking verb, such as is or are, the hyphen is often retained but some style guides may render it without a hyphen in certain contexts (as in hard pressed to pay).

Usage and nuance: hard-pressed often appears in formal or journalistic writing to describe constraints faced by individuals, organizations, or governments. It tends to carry a tone of urgency or strain. It is not synonymous with desperate, but it implies a shortage of resources, time, or capacity that makes action difficult.

Examples and scope: phrases like hard-pressed to meet demand, hard-pressed to balance the budget, or a hard-pressed economy are common in reporting on finance, public policy, and business. Variants include hard pressed in non-hyphenated form in some editorial styles.

See also: under pressure, stretched thin, strapped for resources.