Money was tight that year, and life was very hard for the family.
Tips
usage
窘 covers two linked feelings: socially embarrassed (窘迫, awkward and uncomfortable) and financially hard-pressed (窘困, strapped). Both share the sense of being cornered with no easy way out.
The cave radical on top. It pictures a cramped hole, fitting the core feeling of 窘: being boxed in with no room to move, whether socially or materially.
