up to your neck

Học thuật
Thân thiện
Definition
  1. Adjective Phrase:
    • Deeply involved or overwhelmed: The phrase "up to your neck" describes a state of being extremely involved in a situation, often to the point of being overwhelmed or burdened by it. It implies a very high level of immersion or commitment, typically in a difficult or demanding context.
Usage
  • This phrase is used to emphasize the extreme degree of someone's involvement in an activity or problem. It is often used in informal contexts.
  • It is commonly followed by the preposition "in" (e.g., up to your neck in work, in trouble, in debt).
Examples
Advanced Usage
  • The phrase can be used with various pronouns (my, your, his, her, our, their) to indicate who is deeply involved.
  • It can describe involvement in both literal, physical situations (e.g., mud, water) and figurative, abstract situations (e.g., work, trouble). The figurative use is more common in everyday language.
Variants and Related Words
  • Neck-deep (adjective/adverb): A synonym with identical meaning, often used interchangeably.
    • She is neck-deep in paperwork.
  • In over your head: A similar idiom meaning involved in something too difficult to handle.
Synonyms
  • Swamped: Overwhelmed with a large amount of something.
  • Snowed under: Buried under a large amount of work or responsibilities.
  • Overwhelmed: Burdened with too much of something.
Related Idioms
  • Up to your ears/eyeballs: Idioms with a very similar meaning, emphasizing being completely full of or immersed in something.
    • I'm up to my ears in emails.
Adjective
  1. deeply involved
    • neck-deep in work
    • up to their necks in debt