Dic: hard-pressed (also hard pressed), hard put (hard pressed) to do something

• The region's hard-pressed consumers are spending less on luxuries.
• This year the airline will be hard-pressed to make a profit.

1. ADJ | If someone is hard-pressed, they are under a great deal of strain and worry, usually because they have not got enough money.[JOURNALISM]
2. ADJ : v-link ADJ to-inf | If you will be hard-pressed to do something, you will have great difficulty doing it.

.... Cobuild

hard put (to do something) : also hard pressed (to do something)
able to do something only with great difficulty.

• I'm hard put to come up with enough money to pay the rent.
• I get hard put like that about once a month.

... McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs, http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/hard+pressed