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 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 2026.9.2 13:02

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