焦头烂额 jiāo tóu làn é

DEFINITIONS

  1. lit. badly burned about the head (from trying to put out a fire) (idiom)
  2. fig. hard-pressed
  3. under pressure (from a heavy workload, creditors etc)

CHARACTERS

焦 jiāo
HSK 6
burned, scorched; anxious, vexed
头 tóu
HSK 3
head; top; chief, first; boss
烂 làn
HSK 5
rotten, spoiled, decayed
额 é
HSK 6
forehead; tablet, plaque; fixed