Snowed under
English Idiom
Meaning: Feeling overwhelmed due to having too many tasks or responsibilities to handle. It's like being buried under a pile of snow, unable to move or see clearly because of the workload.
Origin: The idiom 'snowed under' likely originates from the physical experience of being buried by snow, which can create a sense of being trapped and overwhelmed. It began to be used metaphorically in the late 19th to early 20th century to describe people feeling buried under a mountain of work or responsibilities.
Examples
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After accepting three new projects, Emily felt completely snowed under and didn't know where to start.
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Despite being snowed under with assignments, Jake still managed to help his colleague meet a tight deadline.
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The marketing team has been snowed under since the launch of the new product line, working late hours every night.
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Even though the interns were snowed under with tasks, they managed to complete them with exceptional quality.
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When the audit season arrives, the accountants at our firm always feel snowed under by the sheer volume of paperwork.
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With the sudden influx of orders, the small bakery was snowed under, struggling to keep up with the demand.
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During the holiday season, customer service representatives are often snowed under with queries and complaints.
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As the deadline approached, the graphic designer was snowed under with revisions and last-minute client requests.
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The research team was snowed under with data analysis and report writing as the conference date loomed closer.
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Balancing a full-time job and studying for her master's degree left Maria feeling perpetually snowed under.