in the thick of it
Right in there
In the thick of it means at the center of an intense or active situation, fully involved rather than observing from the sidelines.
The phrase evokes being surrounded on all sides, as if in dense undergrowth or the chaos of battle: She was in the thick of it when the argument broke out.
It suggests engagement that may be difficult to escape.
- activityEngagement in doing
- overwhelmDefeat by excess
- immersionState of being submerged
- knee deepImmersed to a point
- adversitySevere difficulty or suffering
in deep · centrality · eye of the storm · engagement · involvement · action stations · all hands on deck · camaraderie · stress · midst · immediacy · cooperation · challenge · focus · chaos · fray · under fire · turmoil
in the thick of iton the sidelines
Not in the action
uninvolved · on the outside looking in · disengaged · out of the loop · sidelined
in the thick of iton the fringes
at arm's length · remote · in the background · behind the scenes · far removed
in the thick of itout of harm's way
In a secure position
sheltered · insulated · safe and sound · untouched · unscathed
thick, thicken, thickly, thickness, thicker, thickest, thickening, thickened