hard up

Thân thiện

He is hard up and can't afford a new coat.

Definition

Adjective: 1. Lacking sufficient money; in financial difficulty: The primary meaning describes a state of not having enough money to pay for basic needs or to afford things one wants or needs. 2. Experiencing a shortage or lack of something (less common): Can be used informally to indicate a scarcity of something non-monetary.

Usage

The adjective "hard up" is used to describe a person's or group's financial situation. It is typically used after a linking verb like be, feel, or look. * It is more informal than terms like "impoverished" or "indigent" but is common in everyday speech. * It often implies a temporary or relative state of need rather than absolute poverty.

Examples

• Financial lack:
  • After losing his job, he was really hard up and had to borrow money from friends.
  • The charity helps families who are hard up during the winter months.
  • I'm too hard up to go on vacation this year.
• Non-monetary lack (informal):
  • I'm hard up for new ideas. (I lack new ideas.)
  • The team is hard up for experienced players. (The team lacks experienced players.)

Advanced Usage

• "hard up for [something]": This construction specifies what is lacking.
  • The company isn't hard up for cash, but it is hard up for skilled engineers.

Variants and Related Words

• Hard-up (hyphenated): Often used when the adjective precedes a noun.
  • A hard-up student looking for part-time work.

Synonyms

• Broke: (informal) Having no money.
• Short of cash/money: Lacking ready money.
• Penniless: Having no money at all.
• Strapped (for cash): (informal) In need of money.
• Impoverished: (formal) Very poor.

Antonyms

• Wealthy
• Affluent
• Well-off
• Flush (with cash)

Học thuật

Adjective

1. not having enough money to pay for necessities

Từ đồng nghĩa

• impecunious
• in straitened circumstances
• penniless
• penurious
• pinched