bite off more than you can chew
To take on a task, responsibility, or project that is too difficult or extensive for one's current abilities or resources. It describes the act of overcommitting yourself to the point of being overwhelmed.
例句
3 / 5I think I bit off more than I could chew by volunteering to host the holiday party for fifty people alone.
I think I bit off more than I could chew by volunteering to host the holiday party for fifty people alone.
The department may have bitten off more than it can chew by attempting to implement three new software systems at once.
The department may have bitten off more than it can chew by attempting to implement three new software systems at once.
Don't bite off more than you can chew with those extra gym sessions; you'll just burn yourself out.
Don't bite off more than you can chew with those extra gym sessions; you'll just burn yourself out.
词族
记忆技巧
Visualize trying to eat a massive sandwich. If you take a bite that is too big, you cannot move your jaw to chew it, and you feel stuck—just like taking on too much work makes you feel stuck.
快速测验
Sarah ______ more than she could chew when she promised to finish three projects by Friday.
正确！
正确答案是： bit off
例句
I think I bit off more than I could chew by volunteering to host the holiday party for fifty people alone.
everydayI think I bit off more than I could chew by volunteering to host the holiday party for fifty people alone.
The department may have bitten off more than it can chew by attempting to implement three new software systems at once.
formalThe department may have bitten off more than it can chew by attempting to implement three new software systems at once.
Don't bite off more than you can chew with those extra gym sessions; you'll just burn yourself out.
informalDon't bite off more than you can chew with those extra gym sessions; you'll just burn yourself out.
In his thesis, the student bit off more than he could chew by trying to analyze the entire history of European economics in twenty pages.
academicIn his thesis, the student bit off more than he could chew by trying to analyze the entire history of European economics in twenty pages.
The startup bit off more than it could chew when it promised a global rollout within its first six months of operation.
businessThe startup bit off more than it could chew when it promised a global rollout within its first six months of operation.
词族
常见搭配
常用短语
don't bite off more than you can chew
don't bite off more than you can chew
have your work cut out for you
have your work cut out for you
in over your head
in over your head
容易混淆的词
'Bite the bullet' means to endure a painful situation, while 'bite off more than you can chew' refers to taking on too much work.
'Chew the fat' means to have a long, casual conversation, whereas this idiom is about project management and difficulty.
使用说明
The phrase is most frequently used as a warning or a self-reflection after realizing a task is too hard. It is highly versatile and can be used in both professional and personal contexts.
常见错误
Learners often forget to change the pronoun 'you' to match the subject (e.g., saying 'She bit off more than you can chew' instead of 'She bit off more than she could chew'). They also sometimes treat 'bite' as a regular verb.
记忆技巧
Visualize trying to eat a massive sandwich. If you take a bite that is too big, you cannot move your jaw to chew it, and you feel stuck—just like taking on too much work makes you feel stuck.
词源
Originates from 19th-century America, referring to people who took such large bites of plug tobacco that they were unable to chew them.
语法模式
文化背景
Reflects a Western cultural focus on productivity and the risks of over-ambition in workplace environments.
快速测验
Sarah ______ more than she could chew when she promised to finish three projects by Friday.
正确！
正确答案是： bit off
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