tread water
原地踏步,付出努力但沒有實質進展
口語·形容停滯不前
英文釋義
to make no progress or to stay in the same position; to remain busy in order to avoid dealing with a problem
例句
I've been treading water at work for months, no promotions or new projects.
典故來源
源自游泳動作,踩水時身體保持原位不前進,比喻付出努力卻無進展。