spread thin
Covering too much
To be spread thin is to have resources, time, or energy distributed across too many commitments, leaving insufficient amounts for any single one.
The image is of butter scraped across too much bread—coverage exists but depth doesn't.
I'm spread thin this semester with three jobs and a full course load.
Organizations and budgets can also be spread thin when demands exceed capacity.
- stretchedPulled to lengthen
- overextendedBeyond sustainable capacity
- dilutedMade weaker by adding liquid
- scatteredSpread irregularly about
- sparseThinly scattered or distributed
butter · margarine · worn · worn out · exhausted · running on empty · burning the candle · frayed · coverage · resources · time · juggling · multitasking · strained · running ragged · depleted · scarce · overwhelmed
- overdoing itoverdo, overreach, overwork, overspend, overexert
- overwhelmedstressed, overwhelmed, stressed out, burnt out, burned out
- Thinsparse, wispy, meager, scanty, skeletal
- burnoutburned out, burnt out, burn out, burning out, burnout
- Running Lowrunning low, in short supply, running out, dried up, at a premium
- delegation phrasesdelegate, pass the buck, hand off, farm out, assign
spread thinfocused
Directing attention narrowly
concentrated · laser-focused · single-minded · zeroed in · honed in
spread, thin, spreads, spreading, spreader, spreaders, widespread, thinner, thinnest