hard pressed/hard-pressed

これもReader's Digest　3月号の "Is Gender Equality Just a Dream?" と題された記事からの引用です。
Until the day comes when society as a whole refuses to justify any form of violence against women, we will be hard pressed to say that gender equality exists in our country.
"hard pressed" を辞書で調べます。
・American Heritage Dictionary: Experiencing great difficulty or distress: financially hard-pressed.
・Cambridge Advanced Learner's English Dictionary: having a lot of difficulties doing something, especially because there is not enough time or money
*The latest education reforms have put extra pressure on teachers who are already hard-pressed.
*Because of shortages, the emergency services were hard-pressed to deal with the accident.
*Most people would be hard-pressed (= would find it difficult) to name more than half a dozen members of the government.
RDの記事ではハイフンの無い "hard pressed" となっていますが、辞書に掲載の表現は上記のようにハイフンの入った "hard-pressed" でした。