stretched thin
Spread too far
Stretched thin describes resources, people, or capacities extended beyond comfortable limits—spread across too many demands with not enough to go around.
The department is stretched thin after the layoffs.
With three kids in activities, we're stretched pretty thin.
The image is of material pulled so far it risks tearing.
- overworkedLaboring beyond healthy limits
- exhaustedUtterly depleted of energy
- burning the candleExhausting oneself completely
- spreadTo distribute widely
- tautStretched under tension
frayed · worn · worn out · depleted · strained · burnout · juggling · running · empty · threadbare · hanging by a thread · sparse · scarce · overwhelmed · drained · running on empty · taxed · elastic
- maxed outtapped out, topped out, maximal, at capacity, pushed to the limit
- overloadoverload, overwhelmed, excess, surplus, maxed out
- overwhelmedstressed, overwhelmed, stressed out, burnt out, burned out
- Pushing Limitsmax, peak, redline, breaking point, threshold
- Thinsparse, wispy, meager, scanty, skeletal
- At My Limitfed up, had it, last straw, breaking point, done
stretched thinoverstaffed
Having surplus employees
resource-rich · well-equipped · rolling in it · fat and happy · comfortable
stretched thinunderutilized
Insufficiently put to work
unburdened · well-rested · refreshed · coasting · idle
stretched thinconcentrated
Gathered or intensified
dense · thick · compact · condensed · compressed
stretched, thin, stretch, stretches, stretching, stretcher, stretchy, stretchable, thinner