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."

THE ～を極(きわ)める PATTERN:

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 EXPRESSIONS:

  • 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
general
Added 2026.4.2 2:28
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