stretched

[unpakwon]

What does "stretched" mean in the following?

"I can see you feel you've done everything you can with your existing resources, and you feel your people are pretty stretched."

Is this saying they are "very tired"?

Thank you.

[5jj]

No really, though the people may well be tired. It means that they are at the limits of what they can do.

stretched - definition. American English definition of stretched by Macmillan Dictionary
stretch v - definition in American English Dictionary - Cambridge Dictionary Online

[TheParser]

you feel your people are pretty stretched."


NOT A TEACHER


Woman calls 911 (the emergency telephone number in the United States):

I need help!

911 Operator: What's the problem?

Woman: My cat is in the tree and cannot come down.

911: OK. Some help will be sent to you in about five hours.

Woman: Why so long?

911 Operator: Our people are pretty stretched. The government recently dismissed

100 employees because it did not have enough money to pay them. The 50 people

who are still working have to do the work that the 100 former employees used to do.

So you can understand why nobody can help you immediately.

Woman: Oh, yes, I understand. The government used to send me $500 each month

in help. Now they send me only $300, so my food budget is really stretched. I used to

eat lobster. Now I can afford only hamburger.

[unpakwon]

Now I see the picture.
You are "showing" the meaning of the word.

Thank you all for the kind help.

[rainous]

Not a teacher-

I have frequently seen the word "stretched" with the above meaning being used in conjunction with words like "thinly" or "thin" as in,

Our budget is stretched too thin.
It's hard to expect a high level of productivity with thinly stretched staff.

Hope it helps.