adj. facing or experiencing trouble or difficulty; as, financially hard-pressed Mexican hotels are lowering their prices; they were hard-pressed to find a substitute on short notice; -- see distressed{ 1 }.
Syn. -- distressed, hard put, in a bad way(predicate), in trouble(predicate). [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. Ware made of metal, as cutlery, kitchen utensils, and the like; ironmongery. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any of the physical objects used in carrying out an activity, in contrast to the knowledge, skill, or theory required to perform the activity; mostly used collectively. [ PJC ]

3. Specifically: (Computers) The sum of all the physical objects, such as the electrical, mechanical, and electronic devices which comprise a computer system; as, the typical PC hardware suite consists of a mainboard and a number of peripherals such as hard drives and speakers, connected by adapter cards, but the input and output from users occurs mostly through the keyboard and monitor; contrasted with software, the programs executed by the computer. [ PJC ]

4. Specifically: (Military) The weapons, transport, and other physical objects used in conducting a war. [ PJC ]

5. (Slang) Weapons, especially handguns, carried on the person; as, check your hardware at the door before entering. [ PJC ]

n.; pl. Hardwaremen One who makes, or deals in, hardware. [ 1913 Webster ]