Being busy is a big part of everyday life, whether you’re a student juggling homework, a parent managing a household, or someone racing through back-to-back meetings. Sometimes, regular words just don’t cut it when you want to describe how hectic your day has been—or how much you’ve got on your plate. That’s where idioms come in.
Idioms are creative expressions that help describe life’s chaos in colorful, relatable ways. And when it comes to being busy, there’s a whole collection of fun and expressive idioms that capture everything from having too much to do, to running out of time, to feeling completely overwhelmed. These phrases don’t just make conversations more interesting—they also help you connect with others who know exactly what it feels like to be swamped with work, errands, or responsibilities.
In this article, you’ll explore 38 common idioms about being busy, what they mean, and how to use them naturally in conversation. You’ll also find helpful examples and alternate ways to say the same thing, so you can build your vocabulary and sound more fluent and expressive in everyday life. Whether you’re “burning the candle at both ends” or “in over your head,” these idioms will help you describe your busy life with just the right words.
Let’s jump right into it!
Idioms for Busy People
1. Busy as a bee
Meaning: Extremely active and always doing something, often multitasking.
In a Sentence: Ever since school started, I’ve been as busy as a bee trying to keep up with classes, clubs, and homework.
Other Ways to Say: Always working, Non-stop hustle
2. Snowed under
Meaning: Overwhelmed with too many tasks or responsibilities.
In a Sentence: I’m completely snowed under at work this week and haven’t even had time to check my messages.
Other Ways to Say: Overloaded, Buried in work
3. Swamped
Meaning: Extremely busy, especially with more tasks than one can manage.
In a Sentence: I’d love to hang out, but I’m totally swamped with assignments right now.
Other Ways to Say: Drowning in work, Slammed
4. Up to your ears (in something)
Meaning: Very involved or occupied with something, usually work or problems.
In a Sentence: I’m up to my ears in paperwork and emails that all need replies today.
Other Ways to Say: Deeply involved, Fully tied up
5. Run off your feet
Meaning: So busy that you’re constantly moving or working without rest.
In a Sentence: We’ve been so short-staffed this week that I’ve been run off my feet every single day.
Other Ways to Say: Always on the go, Extremely overworked
6. Burn the candle at both ends
Meaning: To work late into the night and get up early, pushing yourself too hard.
In a Sentence: Between my job and night classes, I’ve been burning the candle at both ends for weeks now.
Other Ways to Say: Overexerting yourself, Living on no rest
7. In over your head
Meaning: In a situation that is too difficult or too much to handle.
In a Sentence: I agreed to lead three committees at once, and now I realize I’m in way over my head.
Other Ways to Say: Overwhelmed, Out of your depth
8. Juggling too many balls
Meaning: Managing many responsibilities at once and trying to keep everything going.
In a Sentence: Between parenting, working, and taking night classes, I feel like I’m juggling too many balls at the same time.
Other Ways to Say: Multitasking too much, Spreading yourself thin
9. Have a lot on your plate
Meaning: To have many responsibilities or commitments to deal with.
In a Sentence: I’d love to help out with the fundraiser, but I already have a lot on my plate this month.
Other Ways to Say: Too much going on, Overcommitted
10. In a whirlwind
Meaning: Caught in a fast-moving or chaotic situation.
In a Sentence: This week has been a total whirlwind of meetings, calls, and deadlines.
Other Ways to Say: Totally chaotic, Spinning with activity
11. Keep your nose to the grindstone
Meaning: To work very hard and stay focused on a task for a long time.
In a Sentence: I’ve been keeping my nose to the grindstone all week trying to finish this big project before the deadline.
Other Ways to Say: Stay focused, Work non-stop
12. Chained to your desk
Meaning: Spending so much time working at your desk that you feel stuck or unable to take breaks.
In a Sentence: I’ve been chained to my desk all day trying to catch up on emails and reports.
Other Ways to Say: Stuck working, Desk-bound
13. Running around like a headless chicken
Meaning: Being very busy but without being organized or calm about it.
In a Sentence: I was running around like a headless chicken trying to get everything ready for the event.
Other Ways to Say: Frantically busy, All over the place
14. No time to breathe
Meaning: So busy that you feel like you don’t even have a second to relax.
In a Sentence: Today has been so hectic that I haven’t had any time to breathe between tasks.
Other Ways to Say: Non-stop schedule, Overloaded
15. Flat out
Meaning: Working as hard as possible without a break.
In a Sentence: We’ve been working flat out to meet the launch deadline, and it’s really taken a toll.
Other Ways to Say: Going full speed, All-out effort
16. Time is tight
Meaning: There isn’t much time available to complete tasks.
In a Sentence: Time is tight with only a few hours left before the report is due.
Other Ways to Say: Limited time, Racing the clock
17. Run out of time
Meaning: To not have enough time to finish something.
In a Sentence: I was almost done with the test, but I ran out of time before I could finish the last question.
Other Ways to Say: Time’s up, Couldn’t finish
18. Always on the go
Meaning: Constantly busy and moving from one thing to another.
In a Sentence: She’s always on the go between school, sports, and volunteer work—it’s like she never stops.
Other Ways to Say: Constantly moving, Non-stop schedule
19. Working against the clock
Meaning: Trying to finish something before a deadline.
In a Sentence: We were working against the clock to finish the decorations before the guests arrived.
Other Ways to Say: Racing time, In a time crunch
20. Spread too thin
Meaning: Trying to do too many things at once and not being able to do any of them well.
In a Sentence: I’m spread too thin between work, classes, and family responsibilities—it’s starting to show.
Other Ways to Say: Overcommitted, Too much going on
21. On a tight schedule
Meaning: Having very limited time to complete a lot of tasks.
In a Sentence: I’m on a tight schedule today, so I won’t be able to chat for long—everything is running back-to-back.
Other Ways to Say: Rushed for time, Fully booked
22. Work your fingers to the bone
Meaning: To work extremely hard, especially physically or for long hours.
In a Sentence: My mom worked her fingers to the bone preparing for the holiday party and still had time to help with homework.
Other Ways to Say: Exhaust yourself working, Work tirelessly
23. Too many irons in the fire
Meaning: Being involved in too many activities or projects at once.
In a Sentence: He’s got too many irons in the fire right now and can’t seem to focus on any one task properly.
Other Ways to Say: Overloaded with tasks, Juggling multiple roles
24. Don’t know if you’re coming or going
Meaning: So busy or confused that you can’t keep track of what’s happening.
In a Sentence: I’ve had such a hectic week that I honestly don’t know if I’m coming or going anymore.
Other Ways to Say: Mentally scattered, Confused and overwhelmed
25. Working like a dog
Meaning: Working very hard and continuously, often without rest.
In a Sentence: I’ve been working like a dog trying to get everything done before my big presentation tomorrow.
Other Ways to Say: Working non-stop, Putting in long hours
26. Booked solid
Meaning: Having no free time at all due to appointments or responsibilities.
In a Sentence: My calendar is booked solid this week with meetings, events, and family plans.
Other Ways to Say: Fully scheduled, No availability
27. Have your hands full
Meaning: Being very busy or dealing with a lot at one time.
In a Sentence: Between the twins and her new job, she definitely has her hands full every single day.
Other Ways to Say: Completely occupied, Managing a lot
28. A mile a minute
Meaning: Moving, talking, or doing things extremely fast, often because of being busy.
In a Sentence: He talks a mile a minute when he’s nervous or running through a list of things he has to do.
Other Ways to Say: Rapid pace, Super fast
29. Going full throttle
Meaning: Doing something with maximum effort and speed, often without pausing.
In a Sentence: We’ve been going full throttle on the group project all week to make sure everything is finished on time.
Other Ways to Say: Full speed ahead, Giving it your all
30. All hands on deck
Meaning: Everyone is needed to help with a task, usually because there’s so much to do.
In a Sentence: It’s all hands on deck this weekend as we clean out the garage and get ready for the move.
Other Ways to Say: Everyone pitch in, Total team effort
31. Rushed off your feet
Meaning: Extremely busy with no time to stop.
In a Sentence: I was rushed off my feet all day helping customers and still didn’t finish everything on my list.
Other Ways to Say: Non-stop, Constantly busy
32. In a mad rush
Meaning: Trying to do something very quickly, often in a panicked way.
In a Sentence: I woke up late and had to get ready in a mad rush just to make it to the bus on time.
Other Ways to Say: Frantic, Hurried chaos
33. Slammed
Meaning: Overwhelmed with tasks or people needing your attention.
In a Sentence: The café was so slammed this morning we could barely keep up with all the orders.
Other Ways to Say: Super busy, Packed with work
34. Not a moment to spare
Meaning: No extra time available, everything is tightly scheduled.
In a Sentence: We had to leave right after school and head to the airport—we didn’t have a moment to spare.
Other Ways to Say: No spare time, Completely booked
35. In the thick of it
Meaning: Deeply involved in a busy or intense situation.
In a Sentence: I was right in the thick of it during the group project when everything started going wrong at once.
Other Ways to Say: Deeply involved, Right in the middle
36. On overload
Meaning: Mentally or physically overwhelmed by too much happening at once.
In a Sentence: With work, finals, and family stuff all piling up, I feel like I’m on overload this week.
Other Ways to Say: Overwhelmed, Maxed out
37. Hustling hard
Meaning: Putting in a lot of effort, energy, and determination to stay productive and get things done.
In a Sentence: She’s been hustling hard to launch her new online store while still working her day job.
Other Ways to Say: Working intensely, Grinding nonstop
38. Drowning in work
Meaning: Having so much to do that it feels impossible to manage it all.
In a Sentence: I’m absolutely drowning in work after taking a few days off, and now I can’t seem to catch up.
Other Ways to Say: Buried in tasks, Completely overwhelmed
Practice Exercise: Fill in the Idiom
Choose the correct idiom from the list to fill in the blank in each sentence below.
- I’ve been ______________ ever since I took on two new clients last week.
- With back-to-back meetings, I barely had ______________ to grab a snack.
- Don’t ask her to join another committee—she’s already ______________.
- We were ______________ all morning trying to set up the decorations before the guests arrived.
- It’s been ______________ around here, and everyone’s pitching in to meet the deadline.
- My inbox is overflowing, and I’m ______________ emails and requests.
- After pulling an all-nighter, I felt like I was ______________ with everything at school.
- She talks ______________ when she’s excited and planning events.
- With so many things going on, I don’t know if I’m ______________.
- Between school, soccer practice, and tutoring, he’s always ______________.
Word Bank:
- busy as a bee
- not a moment to spare
- juggling too many balls
- working against the clock
- all hands on deck
- drowning in work
- in over your head
- a mile a minute
- coming or going
- on the go
Answer Key:
- busy as a bee
- not a moment to spare
- juggling too many balls
- working against the clock
- all hands on deck
- drowning in work
- in over your head
- a mile a minute
- coming or going
- on the go
Conclusion
Busy days come and go, but having the right words to talk about them makes all the difference. Whether you’re rushing from one task to another or barely keeping your head above water, these 38 idioms for busy will help you express yourself with more clarity, confidence, and even a little humor.
Try using these idioms in your own conversations, writing, or social media captions to describe your hectic schedule in a more vivid and engaging way. Over time, they’ll become part of your everyday language—and you’ll never run out of ways to say just how busy you are.
So next time you’re swamped with work or juggling too many balls, you’ll know exactly what to say!
