忙殺

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 忙殺 (ぼうさつ) expresses being overwhelmed or completely occupied by work and commonly appears as 忙殺される.
• Basic usage: It describes being tied down by year-end paperwork or losing reading time to daily miscellaneous tasks.
  • 年度末は書類作成に忙殺され、机を離れられなかった。 — At fiscal year-end, paperwork kept me tied to my desk.
  • 彼は連日の雑務に忙殺されて読書の時間を失った。 — Endless small tasks left him no time to read.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Passive expression for overwhelming work
  • In 書類作成に忙殺される, に marks the work that consumes one's time. The expression emphasizes extreme busyness rather than literal killing.