thick of things

noun

A central or major role in a situation; a position in which one is surrounded by or very involved in complex, changing events.

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Meanings

nounthe thick of things
  1. idiomaticA central or major role in a situation; a position in which one is surrounded by or very involved in complex, changing events.

    During the coup he also kept his distance from the thick of things.

    2004 December 15, “VP Race Is On”, in Fiji Times, Australia
    2 more examples

    Christ calls for large ideas, bold enterprise, heavy undertakings, brave adventure, and heroic plunging into the thick of things.

    1888, Joseph Augustus Seiss, Lectures on the Gospels, vol. 2, Lutheran Bookstore (Philadelphia), p. 767

    Second base is a pleasurable post for the reason that the man covering it is in the thick of things at all times.

    1935 July 3, Charley Gehringer, “Second Base is Toughest Position to Play”, in Pittsburgh Press, page 13

Translations

Russian эпицентр, гуща событий
  • эпицентр (epicentr)Translations
  • гуща событий (gušča sobytij)Translations
Cite this entry
APA

thick of things. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thick%20of%20things

MLA

“thick of things.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thick%20of%20things. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “thick of things,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thick%20of%20things.

Source: thick of things on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.