pushed

pushed — adjective

1. having too little of something essential, such as time or money, to do what need

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

having too little of something essential, such as time or money, to do what needs to be done.

Example

Karim was pushed for time today, so he grabbed a banana and ran to the station.

pattern: pushed for [resource noun]

The community centre is pushed for money and may cancel its summer programme for children.

Common collocations
  • pushed for time
  • pushed for money
  • pushed for space
  • too pushed to
  • really pushed
  • quite pushed
Synonyms
  • short of

    more neutral and common; 'short of time' works in both formal and informal contexts

  • stretched

    similar informal register but emphasises being spread thin rather than lacking

  • pressed

    very close synonym; 'pressed for time' is interchangeable in most cases

Antonyms
  • flush with

    informal; having plenty of time or money

  • well-off

    describes having enough financial resources

Grammar Patterns

be + pushed + for + [resource noun]

be + pushed + adverb

Usage Note

Always used predicatively (after a linking verb like 'be', 'feel', or 'seem') — never placed before a noun. The resource noun following 'for' is typically uncountable: time, money, space, cash.

Common Mistakes

I am pushed time this morning.
I am pushed for time this morning.
The preposition 'for' is required after 'pushed'.
She is a pushed woman.
She feels pushed for money.
'Pushed' cannot go before a noun; use it predicatively.
We are pushed of time.
We are pushed for time.
Use 'for', not 'of', after 'pushed'.

2. experiencing great difficulty when trying to do something, especially because th

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

experiencing great difficulty when trying to do something, especially because the task is demanding or time is limited.

Example

Nia was pushed to finish the marathon after twisting her ankle at the halfway mark.

pattern: pushed + to-infinitive

You would be hard pushed to find a quieter café than this one near the old temple.

fixed expression: 'hard pushed to'

Common collocations
  • hard pushed to
  • pushed to keep up
  • pushed to finish
  • pushed to explain
  • feel pushed to
Synonyms
  • hard-pressed

    slightly more formal; often interchangeable with 'hard pushed'

  • stretched

    emphasises being at the limit of one's capacity, especially with multiple demands

  • taxed

    less common; suggests a mental or physical burden

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be + pushed + to-infinitive

be + hard + pushed + to-infinitive

Usage Note

Commonly appears in the fixed phrase 'hard pushed' (or 'hard-pushed') to emphasise near-impossibility. Unlike the 'PRESSED FOR TIME/MONEY' sense, this sense always takes a to-infinitive clause, not a prepositional phrase.

Common Mistakes

I was pushed for finishing the report.
I was pushed to finish the report.
This sense takes a to-infinitive, not a prepositional phrase.
We are hard to pushed meet the deadline.
We are hard pushed to meet the deadline.
The adjective 'hard' comes before 'pushed', not after it.
He is a pushed student.
He feels pushed to keep up with the coursework.
'Pushed' cannot be used attributively before a noun.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words describe a lack of something essential, but they differ in nuance. 'Short of' is the most neutral and widely used — you can be 'short of time', 'short of money', or 'short of staff' in any register. 'Stretched' suggests you are managing multiple demands that strain your resources; it carries the image of elastic being pulled thin. 'Pushed' (the headword) is more informal and implies that external pressure — a deadline, a budget — is creating the shortage. 'Pressed' is very similar to 'pushed' but slightly more common in American English. For example: 'The department is short of staff this week' (simple fact), 'The department is stretched thin with three projects running at once' (multiple demands), 'The department is pushed for staff because two people are on sick leave' (external pressure causing the shortage).

short ofstretchedpressed

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • pushed for
  • hard pushed to

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The adjective 'pushed' comes from the verb 'push', which entered English through Old French 'pousser' (to push, shove), from Latin 'pulsare' — a frequentative form of 'pellere' meaning to beat, strike, or drive. The sense of being under pressure — financially or time-wise — emerged in the mid-19th century, while the broader meaning of finding something difficult developed in the early 20th century. Both uses retain the core idea of external force or constraint.