knee-deep

[ nee-deep ]

adjective

1. reaching the knees:

   knee-deep mud.

2. submerged or covered up to the knees:

   knee-deep in water.

3. deeply embroiled; enmeshed; involved:

   knee-deep in trouble.

knee-deep

adjective

1. so deep as to reach or cover the knees

   knee-deep mud

2. postpositiveoften foll byin
   1. sunk or covered to the knees

      knee-deep in sand

   2. immersed; deeply involved

      knee-deep in work

Word History and Origins

Origin of knee-deep¹

First recorded in 1525–35

Example Sentences

Knee deep in mud, sweat mixing with rain, they forced the Land Rover through the jungle.

From The Daily Beast

They live in humiliating conditions—knee-deep in mud when it rains, unable to go to school or work.

From The Daily Beast

On a good night workers on the staff are knee deep in cash, collecting as much as $70,000 in small bills.

From The Daily Beast

Crushed in the 2012 ground and data game, the GOP has learned its lesson—and is knee deep in Clinton oppo-research.

From The Daily Beast

He advised him to stock up on food and rubber boots for the knee-deep mud trails.

From The Daily Beast

The Colonel is very well, and seems to enjoy plodding knee-deep through the mud in the trenches.

From Project Gutenberg

And these sons, the singers, stretched out the fences in their racings; the cows had to walk knee-deep.

From Project Gutenberg

In crossing these we went knee-deep, and once waist-deep, into it.

From Project Gutenberg

The river Wagwater, which is commonly about knee deep, ran the next morning thirty feet high.

From Project Gutenberg

Astern of us, knee-deep in foam, stood the slim column of the Bishop lighthouse, a dark pencil mark on the cloudless sky.

From Project Gutenberg