How do you use "Hard Up" in a sentence?

We're a bit hard up this month. Times were hard up after the war. I wouldn't ask if I wasn't hard up. A lot of families are hard up these days.

Hard Up

Q: What does "Hard Up" mean?

Short of money, financially struggling Having difficulty financially—not completely broke, but struggling. Implies a difficult period rather than permanent poverty.

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Neutral

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Meaning: Short of money, financially struggling

手头紧、经济困难

Corto de dinero, con dificultades financieras

金欠、経済的に苦しい

돈이 궁한, 경제적으로 어려운

Having difficulty financially—not completely broke, but struggling. Implies a difficult period rather than permanent poverty.

经济困难——不是完全破产，但在挣扎。暗示一段困难时期而非永久贫困。

Tener dificultades financieras—no completamente arruinado, pero luchando. Implica un período difícil más que pobreza permanente.

経済的に困難——完全に破産ではないが、苦しんでいる。永続的な貧困ではなく困難な時期を示す。

완전히 빈털터리는 아니지만 경제적으로 힘든 상태. 영구적인 빈곤이 아니라 일시적으로 어려운 시기를 뜻한다.

Examples

We're a bit hard up this month.
这个月我们有点紧。
Estamos un poco justos este mes.
今月ちょっと厳しいんだ。
이번 달은 좀 빠듯해.
Times were hard up after the war.
战后日子很艰难。
Los tiempos eran difíciles después de la guerra.
戦後は大変だった。
전쟁 후에는 형편이 어려웠어.
I wouldn't ask if I wasn't hard up.
要不是手头紧我不会开口的。
No te pediría si no estuviera apretado.
困ってなければ頼まないよ。
궁하지 않으면 부탁 안 해.
A lot of families are hard up these days.
现在很多家庭都很拮据。
Muchas familias están apretadas hoy en día.
最近多くの家庭が苦しい。
요즘 많은 가정이 형편이 어렵다.

Pronunciation

/hɑːd ʌp/

Usage Guide

Context: financial difficulty, sympathy

Tone: sympathetic, matter-of-fact

✓ Do Say

A bit hard up.
有点紧
Un poco apretado
ちょっと厳しい
좀 쪼들려
Times are hard up.
日子不好过
Los tiempos están difíciles
大変な時期
살기 빠듯해
They're hard up.
他们手头紧
Están apretados
彼ら金欠
그들은 형편이 어려워

✗ Don't Say

Acceptable in most contexts
大多数场合都可以用
Aceptable en la mayoría de contextos
ほとんどの場面で使える
대부분의 상황에서 쓸 수 있어요
More polite than 'broke'
比'broke'更礼貌
Más educado que 'broke'
「broke」より丁寧
'broke'보다 정중한 표현이에요

Common Mistakes

Implies temporary difficulty, not poverty
More polite than some alternatives

Origin & History

From nautical term where 'hard up' meant putting the helm hard over in difficult conditions. Transferred to financial difficulty by the 19th century.

Etymology: Possibly from nautical term for difficult maneuvering

First recorded: Financial meaning from 19th century

Cultural Context

Era: 19th century onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Common in economic discussions; Polite way to discuss financial struggles

Regional notes: Universal across English-speaking countries.

Variations

Hard upA bit hard upReally hard up