ankle-deep

American  

[ang-kuhl-deep] / ˈæŋ kəlˈdip /

adjective

1. high enough to reach or cover the ankles.

   ankle-deep mud.

2. deeply involved or entangled.

   He is ankle-deep in financial troubles.

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adverb

1. as high as the ankles.

   Rainwater ran ankle-deep.

Etymology

Origin of ankle-deep

First recorded in 1755–65

Example Sentences

The company was fined more than $112,000 by Nevada’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration in late 2023 after workers complained of “ankle-deep” water in the tunnels, muck spills and burns.

From Salon

Flooding was also reported on the Isles of Scilly, with St Mary's resident Samaya Reid saying her family had come home from a night out to find "ankle-deep water" on their road.

From BBC

That feeling is shared by fishermen ankle-deep in creek bed on the outskirts of town, drawn to the area by the allure of some of the world's finest salmon.

From BBC

The sound of rushing water echoed from the walls as an ankle-deep stream flowed from the portal and cascaded into a churning pool beneath metal gates.

From Los Angeles Times

“You would need two, three guys to push your boat about three-fourths of a mile in ankle-deep water.”

From New York Times