up against it
Also found in: Wikipedia.
up against (something)
Having or being likely to face serious problems, stresses, or difficulties. Each year, more and more families are up against debt going into the holiday season. Sorry I haven't been in touch recently, I've just really been up against it in work the last few weeks. This team is undefeated, so we're up against our biggest challenge this season.
See also: up
up against it
Having or likely to face serious problems, stresses, or difficulties. Each year, more and more families find themselves up against it going into the holiday season. Sorry I haven't been in touch recently, I've just really been up against it at work the last few weeks.
See also: up
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
up against it
INFORMALIf you are up against it, you have a very difficult problem or situation to deal with. Playing into the wind in the second half, the team were really up against it. You have to help me — I'm really up against it at the moment.
See also: up
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
up against it
facing some serious but unspecified difficulty. informalSee also: up
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
up aˈgainst it
(informal) in a difficult situation: Two of the staff are sick and the order has to be ready for delivery by this evening, so we’re really up against it.See also: up
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
up against it
mod. having a personal crisis; having a financial crisis. This is my bad season. I’m really up against it.
See also: up
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
up against it/the wall
In trouble. This slangy Americanism of the late nineteenth century uses “it” in a general way to mean any kind of difficulty. When “the wall” is substituted, it may refer to the practice of lining criminals up against a wall, or, more likely, of having one’s back to the wall. “I saw I was up against it,” wrote George Ade (Artie, 1896).
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer
- up against
- up against (something)
- be up against it
- all right on the night
- cards are stacked against
- odds are against one
- the cards are stacked against (someone or something)
- the cards/odds are stacked against somebody/something
- the odds are against (someone or something)
- the odds are stacked against (someone or something)