overwhelmed; too busy to cope; more than the eye can take in
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesidiom
to have more visitors or business than one can attend to; overwhelmed; swamped
This is the most common modern usage of the idiom, describing being too busy to cope with people or tasks.
The library was packed with people, some returning books and some borrowing them; the staff were overwhelmed.
During the Spring Festival, orders exploded and the customer service staff couldn't keep up.
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The phone kept ringing non-stop; she simply couldn't handle it alone.
idiom
more than the eye can take in; too many beautiful sights to see
literaryOriginal meaning from《世说新语》, describing scenery along the Shan Yin road. Now less common than the 'busy' meaning but still used in literary contexts.
Walking along the Shan Yin road, the mountains and rivers reflect each other, presenting more beautiful sights than one can take in.
The garden contained such a wide variety of flowers that one couldn't take them all in.