多 忙(たぼう)を極(きわ)める

たぼうをきわめる

expression

to be extremely busy

1. to be extremely busy; to be overwhelmed with work

Describes a state of being so busy that one has barely any free time. A formal expression emphasizing the extreme degree of busyness.

年末(ねんまつ)は多忙(たぼう)を極(きわ)めた。

The year-end period was extremely busy.

新(しん)プロジェクトが始(はじ)まり、部署(ぶしょ)全体(ぜんたい)が多忙(たぼう)を極(きわ)めている。

A new project started, and the entire department is extremely busy.

社長(しゃちょう)は海外出張(かいがいしゅっちょう)と国内(こくない)の会議(かいぎ)で多忙(たぼう)を極(きわ)め、家族(かぞく)との時間(じかん)がまったく取(と)れなかった。

The president was overwhelmed with overseas business trips and domestic meetings, unable to find any time for family.

A formal expression for being extremely busy. 極(きわ)める means "to reach an extreme" or "to exhaust," so the expression literally means "to reach the extreme of busyness."

Common patterns

This pattern means "to reach the extreme of" and appears in several set expressions:

贅沢(ぜいたく)を極(きわ)める: to live in extreme luxury
混乱(こんらん)を極(きわ)める: to be in utter chaos
困難(こんなん)を極(きわ)める: to be extremely difficult
繁栄(はんえい)を極(きわ)める: to prosper greatly

Similar words

忙(いそが)しい: busy — everyday adjective
てんてこ舞(ま)い: being in a frantic rush — more colloquial and vivid
目(め)が回(まわ)る忙(いそが)しさ: dizzyingly busy — colloquial
超多忙(ちょうたぼう): super busy — more casual modern expression

Related Words

Compare: 忙(いそが)しい (busy)

Compare: てんてこ舞(ま)い (being in a frantic rush)

Compare: 予定(よてい)が詰(つ)まる (to have a packed schedule)

general

Added 2026.4.2 2:28 · Revised 2026.10.20 9:20

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