Definition

Adjective (Colloquial): - Overwhelmed; swamped; extremely busy: Describes a state of having an excessive amount of work or tasks, to the point of feeling buried or unable to keep up. It conveys a sense of being submerged in responsibilities.

Usage Examples

• (The new employee has been over head and ears in work the whole day.)
• (He is swamped with a pile of reports.)
• (During the peak season, they are always overwhelmed with work.)

Advanced Usage

The phrase is almost exclusively used in the structure "bù đầu với + [something]" (overwhelmed/swamped with + [something]) or "làm bù đầu" (to work to the point of being swamped).

Variants and Related Words

• Bận rộn (adj): Busy. This is a more standard, less intense synonym.
• Ngập đầu (adj): Literally "head-deep," also meaning overwhelmed or swamped, often used interchangeably with "bù đầu."

Synonyms

• Swamped
• Overwhelmed
• Snowed under
• Up to one's ears (in work)

Related Idioms

While "bù đầu" itself is a colloquial idiom, it is closely related to the expression: - Đầu tắt mặt tối: Literally "lights out in the head, dark in the face," meaning to be extremely busy from morning till night, toiling non-stop. - Mẹ tôi đầu tắt mặt tối lo cho gia đình. (My mother works herself to the bone for the family.)

khẩu ngữ

1. Over head and ears (in work)
   • làm bù đầu suốt ngày
     to be over head and ears in work the whole day
   • bù đầu với những con số
     to be over head and ears in figures