hard put, be

be hard put to (do something)

To be struggling to do or accomplish something, especially because it seems impossible. You'll be hard put to find a better guy than Bill. Come on—if we don't leave soon, we'll be hard put to get there on time. Neela's my choice. Here, look at her résumé—we'd be hard put to find a more qualified candidate.

See also: hard, put, to

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

hard put, be

Find something very difficult, as in The show was so bad that I was hard put to conceal my dismay, or Manufacturers will be hard put to meet the new standards. [c. 1700]

See also: hard

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.