ankle-deep

Just covering feet

Ankle-deep describes a depth reaching to the ankles—shallow but not insignificant.

Water, snow, mud, or grass can be ankle-deep: We waded through ankle-deep water.

Figuratively, it suggests being partly involved or immersed: ankle-deep in paperwork, ankle-deep in trouble.

shallowwater

wade

Walk through impeding substance

  • puddleShallow collected rainwater
  • streamSteady continuous flow
  • creekNarrow natural watercourse

splash · ford · shoreline · tide · marsh · bog · swamp · mudflat · estuary · brook

accumulation

snow

Frozen crystalline precipitation

  • leavesTree's photosynthetic organs
  • mudWet soil mixture
  • sandFine rock particles

grass · debris · floodwater · dust · ash · slush · gravel · hay · straw · mulch

immersion

engrossed

Wholly absorbed in something

overwhelmed · swamped · buried · inundated · mired · entangled · caught up · embroiled · steeped · plunged

Categories
Opposites
degree of involvement/commitment

ankle-deepneck-deep

Submerged to throat level

in over one's head · up to one's ears · fully immersed · fully committed · drowning in

depth/height of immersion

ankle-deepwaist-deep

Reaching one's midsection

neck-deep · submerged · deep · knee-deep · waist-high

Family

deep, depth, deeply, ankle, deepen, deepest, ankles, deeper, deepening

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G