knee-deep

/'ni:'di:p/
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knee-deep

The children are standing knee-deep in the clear stream.

Definition

  1. Adjective:

    • Extending to or reaching the knees: Describes a depth of something (typically water, snow, mud, or another substance) that reaches approximately to a person's knees.
    • Deeply involved or immersed in something: Used figuratively to describe being heavily involved or overwhelmed by a situation, activity, or emotion.

  2. Adverb:

    • To a depth reaching the knees: Describes the manner or position of being in something up to the level of the knees.
Usage Examples

  • Adjective:

    • The floodwaters were knee-deep in the streets after the heavy rain.
    • She was knee-deep in paperwork and couldn't take a break. (Figurative use)

  • Adverb:

    • The children waded knee-deep into the cool stream.
    • We had to walk knee-deep through the freshly fallen snow.
Advanced Usage
  • "knee-deep in": This is the most common collocation, used both literally and figuratively to indicate immersion.
    • The farmers were knee-deep in mud during the planting season. (Literal)
    • The company is knee-deep in debt and may have to declare bankruptcy. (Figurative)
Variants and Related Words
  • Waist-deep (adj/adv): Extending to or reaching the waist.
    • The water in the lake was waist-deep near the shore.
  • Ankle-deep (adj/adv): Extending to or reaching the ankles.
    • We walked ankle-deep in the wet sand.
Synonyms
  • Shin-deep: Reaching to the shins (lower leg).
  • Immersed: Deeply involved or absorbed in something (figurative synonym).
  • Mired: Stuck or entangled in something, like mud or a difficult situation.
Related Phrases
  • Up to one's knees: An alternative phrase with the same literal meaning.
    • The snow was up to his knees.
  • In over one's head: An idiom meaning deeply involved in a difficult situation, often beyond one's ability to manage. This is a stronger figurative equivalent.
    • He took on too many projects and is now in over his head.
Idioms
  • Knee-deep in the Big Muddy: An idiom originating from a folk song, meaning being deeply involved in a bad situation that is getting progressively worse, often with a sense of futile persistence.
    • By ignoring the warning signs, the manager led the team knee-deep in the Big Muddy.
knee-deep

The children are standing knee-deep in the clear stream.

Adjective
  1. coming only to the ankle or knee
Adverb
  1. up to the knees
    • we were standing knee-deep in the water

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