have one's hands full
To be busy or thoroughly preoccupied.
He already has his hands full with two kids and a full-time job, yet he still makes time to volunteer.
hands
name 1
Definitions
name
1
A surname.
Collocations
5ADJ.
behind, busy, clean, dirty, many, numb, tied, washed
My hands were so numb from the cold that I couldn't feel the steering wheel.
VERB + HANDS
books, changed, eyes, get, haven't, keep, let's, put
I haven't got my hands on the new book yet, but I really want to read it.
HANDS + NOUN
floor, friends, meals
She held her friends' hands tightly as they walked through the dark forest.
PREP.
among, down, from, in, in, on, with
The keys fell from my hands as I opened the front door.
ADV.
always
She always has her hands full with three young children and a demanding job.
Thesaurus
Idioms & Phrases
lay hands on
To find, obtain, or procure.
If we can lay hands on some chicken wire and a black light, we can make some scary Halloween decorations.
hands up
Put your hands up (if you wish to participate).
sit on one's hands
To remain idle when action is needed, perhaps because of fear, ignorance, complacency, indecisiveness, or dislike of the person(s) or situation.
"Ministers cannot continue to sit on their hands, hoping this dispute will go away. Our members are fully prepared to fight tooth-and-nail for a negotiated settlement," RMT General
many hands make light work
A large number of people cooperating can perform tasks easily.
Example Bank
601
I can place the palms of my hands on the floor without bending my knees.
Tatoeba · #209702
Put your hands down!
Tatoeba · #230603
Do you wash your hands before meals?
Tatoeba · #1598004
You haven't washed your hands yet, have you?
Tatoeba · #1642305
You must always keep your hands clean.
Tatoeba · #1684706
Are you sure you want to put your life in her hands?
Tatoeba · #16885Usage Notes
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