hard up

• hard-up

hard up (comparative more hard up, superlative most hard up)

1. (colloquial) Lacking money; impecunious; in financial difficulties.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:impoverished

   • 1886, Jerome K. Jerome, Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow, On being hard up

     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, […]

2. (colloquial) Lacking anything.

   We were hard up for amusements.

3. (colloquial, by extension) Desperate.

   Dating him? She must be hard up.

hard up (third-person singular simple present hards up, present participle harding up, simple past and past participle harded up)

1. Synonym of harden up (to become or make hard)

• purdah