English · Phrasal verb Candidate

hard up

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Lacking money; impecunious; in financial difficulties.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Thiếu tiền, khó khăn tài chính

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

I can speak with authority on the subject of being hard up. I have been a provincial actor. If further evidence be required, which I do not think likely, […]

Quoted attestation: 1886, Jerome K. Jerome, Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow, On being hard up

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Lacking anything.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Thiếu thứ gì đó

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Desperate.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Cực kỳ tuyệt vọng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “hard up” mean?

Lacking money; impecunious; in financial difficulties.

Is “hard up” formal or informal?

hard up is generally colloquial.