to be snowed under

– C1 (advanced) –

Practice Your Listening Comprehension

Listen to blog post: "to be snowed under"
Josh Douglas

Practice Your Reading Comprehension

In Canadian and American English, this idiom typically means:

  1. to have a lot of work to do

    NOTE

    This expression has a negative connotation of stress and overwhelm.

    When you want to specify what kind of work you have to do, use the word “with” after this idiom (e.g., to be snowed under with meetings).

EXAMPLES

  1. “This time of year is just so busy! The company fiscal year is coming to an end, client projects are nearing their deadlines, and the Christmas season is starting, which means there will be tons of baking, cleaning, decorating, wrapping, and so much more to do at home… I love this time of year, but I am really snowed under.”

  2. “They are so excited for Winter Break because they are completely snowed under with all their homework, presentations, and final exams coming up. November is a busy month for university students.”


Next
Next

Canadian vs. American English: Food Vocabulary, Part 1 (Halloween Edition)