British, American & Australian, informal, British

to be having difficulty doing something, especially because there is not enough time or money.

I'll be hard pressed to get this report done by Friday. (usually + to do something)

You'd be hard pushed to find a good car for under £1,000.

With cuts in government funding, hospitals are hard pressed at the moment.

• someone's place in the sun
• someone's right-hand man
• someone's right-hand woman
• someone's stamping ground
• someone's stomping ground
• someone's time is up
• someone's word is law
• someone will be along
• someone will go a long way
• someone won't bite
• someone would not be caught dead
• something and a half
• something be damned
• something can't hold a candle to someone else
• something can't hold a candle to something else
• something comes into head
• something comes into your head
• something else
• something falls on deaf ears
• something from hell
• something goes for
• something goes for someone else
• something goes for something else
• something goes to show
• something goes to show you