What does ‘snowed under’ mean?
To “snowed under” means to overwhelmed, usually with work. A modern idiom; the image is of being buried by heavy snow.
Origin
- A modern idiom; the image is of being buried by heavy snow.
How to use it
- Common in workplace complaints.
- Example: I'm snowed under with paperwork this week.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.