Language: en
Meaning: (idiomatic,usually with to-infinitive)Barely able. Having difficulty doing something.Although they are still available, I think we would behard-pressedto find one on short notice.1939September, D. S. Barrie, “The Railways of South Wales”, inRailway Magazine, page157:From the 'fifties onwards the development of the South Wales & Monmouthshire coalfield went on at terrific speed, and railway construction washard pressedto keep pace with it.1962December, “Beyond the Channel: Switzerland: Federal Railways' progress”, inModern Railways, page417:These units will replace the 2,800 h.p. motor coaches on the fast and heavy Zurich-Berne-Lausanne-Geneva push-and-pull expresses, which in their turn have been relieving thehard-pressed2,520 h.p. Bo-Bo locomotives of the Re 4/4 type.; (idiomatic)Experiencing financial difficulty or difficulty in surviving.The earthquake left the residentshard-pressed.2022April 6, “Network News: Spring Statement: Sunak accused of making rail less competitive”, inRAIL, number954, page 8:Speaking to Parliament on March 23, Sunak announced a temporary cut in fuel duty of 5p per litre tohard-pressedmotorists who have faced spiralling prices for diesel and petrol in recent weeks.
Validation Count: 0
Sourced from Wiktionary