knee-deep
Americanadjective
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reaching the knees.
knee-deep mud.
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submerged or covered up to the knees.
knee-deep in water.
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deeply embroiled; enmeshed; involved.
knee-deep in trouble.
adjective
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so deep as to reach or cover the knees
knee-deep mud
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sunk or covered to the knees
knee-deep in sand
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immersed; deeply involved
knee-deep in work
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Etymology
Origin of knee-deep
First recorded in 1525–35
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Pedestrians in plastic rain ponchos trudged through murky floodwaters in Bangkok's east -- knee-deep in some areas of a grocery store parking lot -- floating their belongings in plastic tubs alongside them, AFP journalists saw.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
It’s worth trying, if only to remind yourself, when you’re knee-deep in a pristine, quiet bay, what makes the island special in the first place.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
Less than a mile away from the Meta Campus, Menlo Park residents on Wednesday woke up to rising knee-deep floodwaters and possible evacuation warnings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 24, 2025
She told the BBC: "I was standing in what used to be main street yesterday and I was knee-deep in mud where the road should have been."
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2025
My dad, Poseidon, was standing knee-deep in the surf, wearing his typical Bermuda shorts, beat-up cap, and a real subde pink-and-green Tommy Bahama shirt.
From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
