Hard up
Hard up adjective - Lacking money or material possessions.
Usage example: despite being undeniably hard up, they had too much pride to accept charity
Rich
Rich adjective - Possessing material wealth.
Usage example: her father is extremely rich
Both terms in one sentence
- The characters are in their spacious home with their nice new, trendy furniture... then they start talking about how hard up for money they are, or the "rich people" across town.
Source: Pottery Barn Poor
Cite this Source
Rich and Hard up. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/hard_up/rich
Hard up & Rich. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/hard_up/rich>.
Rich or Hard up. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/hard_up/rich.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "hard up" and "rich" have occurred on timeline