ankle-deep
Americanadjective
-
high enough to reach or cover the ankles.
ankle-deep mud.
-
deeply involved or entangled.
He is ankle-deep in financial troubles.
adverb
Etymology
Origin of ankle-deep
First recorded in 1755–65
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.
Holmes’ feed is a babbling stream of self-help epigrams, ankle-deep reflections and many, many photos of herself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 7, 2025
Shopowner Chayaphol Promkleng thought at first that his business would be spared because flooding was "only ankle-deep".
From Barron's ● Nov. 28, 2025
“You would need two, three guys to push your boat about three-fourths of a mile in ankle-deep water.”
From New York Times ● Feb. 9, 2024
Lewis Williams said she woke up to find ankle-deep water in her home on Sunday morning.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2023
Shackleton, Worsley, and Crean set off, climbing toward a pass through ankle-deep snow.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
