hard up

• Expresión informal que describe escasez de dinero o dificultades económicas; también puede indicar una situación desesperada o falta de algo necesario.

An informal expression describing a state of having very little money or being in financial difficulty; can also refer to being desperate or lacking something essential.

1. Short of moneyB2informal

   Having very little money; in financial difficulty.

   andar mal de dinero

   • I'm a bit hard up this month, so I can't go out to dinner.
   • After losing his job, he was really hard up for cash.
   • They were hard up and had to sell their car.

2. Lacking somethingB2informal

   Having a shortage of something, not necessarily money.

   Carecer de algo

   • The team is hard up for good players this season.
   • She's hard up for ideas for her next project.
   • The library is hard up for volunteers.