hard up

adjective

Synonyms of hard upnext
1
: short of money
2
: poorly provided
hard up for friends

Synonyms of hard up

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Examples of hard up in a Sentence

despite being undeniably hard up, they had too much pride to accept charity
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For the non-influencers and the otherwise hard up, there will always be YouTube. — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2026 The game warden who conducted my background check confided that the state is so hard up for hunte-ed instructors that hunting experience is no longer a requirement for teaching the class. — The Editors, Outdoor Life, 30 Oct. 2025 This letter descended to Charles Austen and thence to his granddaughters, who, hard up, sold it in the 1920s, part of a larger cache of relics and manuscripts. — Literary Hub, 4 Aug. 2025 The surge of federal immigration agents in Minnesota over the past few months left many people not only traumatized but financially hard up. — Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hard up

Word History

First Known Use

1821, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hard up was in 1821

Rhymes for hard up

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Browse Nearby Words

hard tussock
hard up
hard wall plaster
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Cite this Entry

“Hard up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard%20up. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

hard up

adjective
1
: short of money
2
: poorly provided
hard up for friends
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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