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Meaning & use

stretched thin

phrase, adjective·Advancedfigurative

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UK/ˌstretʃt ˈθɪn/
US/ˌstretʃt ˈθɪn/

Meanings

  1. phraseafter a verbfigurative

    Having too much to do with too few people, hours or resources, so that quality or energy suffers.

    Grammar: Usually follows be, feel, or seem: the staff are stretched thin.

    Patterns

    • be stretched thin
    • feel stretched thin
    • spread/stretch someone thin

    Nurses on the night shift are stretched thin.

    I feel stretched thin since taking on a second job.

    Our budget is stretched thin after the repairs.

  2. adjectiveafter a verb

    Physically pulled until narrow or almost too thin, as with fabric or dough.

    Grammar: Describes a material that has been pulled: the dough was stretched thin.

    Patterns

    • stretched thin

    Roll the pastry until it is stretched thin.

    The fabric was stretched thin across the frame.

    The balloon was stretched thin and ready to pop.

Common combinations

stretched thin by
The team was stretched thin by constant deadlines.
feel stretched thin
Many parents feel stretched thin in December.
resources are stretched thin
Resources are stretched thin across the district.
stretch yourself thin
Don't stretch yourself thin by saying yes to everything.
stretched too thin
The charity is stretched too thin to help everyone.

Synonyms and how they differ

overstretched
Overstretched is a single adjective that is slightly more formal and common for services and budgets.
overworked
Overworked is about too much effort by people, while stretched thin can also describe money or supplies.
swamped
Swamped suggests a sudden flood of tasks, whereas stretched thin suggests long-term shortage.
run ragged
Run ragged is more informal and emphasizes exhaustion.

Opposites

well-resourcedcomfortable

Word family

stretch verb
to pull something longer or wider
thin adjective
having little width or too few in number
overstretched adjective
asked to do more than is possible
stretch noun
a period or length of something

Commonly confused: stretched thin or spread thin?

stretched thin vs spread thin

Spread thin means almost the same; it is simply an alternative form of the idiom.

Practice

With three people off sick, the small team is ___ this week.

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