Hard up

Hard Hard, adv. [OE. harde, AS. hearde.] 1. With pressure; with urgency; hence, diligently; earnestly. [1913 Webster]

And prayed so hard for mercy from the prince. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

My father Is hard at study; pray now, rest yourself. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

2. With difficulty; as, the vehicle moves hard. [1913 Webster]

3. Uneasily; vexatiously; slowly. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

4. So as to raise difficulties. ``The question is hard set.'' --Sir T. Browne. [1913 Webster]

5. With tension or strain of the powers; violently; with force; tempestuously; vehemently; vigorously; energetically; as, to press, to blow, to rain hard; hence, rapidly; nimbly; as, to run hard. [1913 Webster]

6. Close or near. [1913 Webster]

Whose house joined hard to the synagogue. --Acts xviii. 7. [1913 Webster]

{Hard by}, {near by}; close at hand; not far off. ``Hard by a cottage chimney smokes.'' --Milton.

{Hard pushed}, {Hard run}, greatly pressed; as, he was hard pushed or hard run for time, money, etc. [Colloq.]

{Hard up}, closely pressed by want or necessity; without money or resources; as, hard up for amusements. [Slang] [1913 Webster]

Note: Hard in nautical language is often joined to words of command to the helmsman, denoting that the order should be carried out with the utmost energy, or that the helm should be put, in the direction indicated, to the extreme limit, as, Hard aport! Hard astarboard! Hard alee! Hard aweather! Hard up! Hard is also often used in composition with a participle; as, hard-baked; hard-earned; hard-featured; hard-working; hard-won. [1913 Webster]