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Glite Dictionary
in the throes of creation

in the throes of creation

8.2
Working very hard and fully involved in making something new
  • idiom
translation icon : en plena creación
  • The artist locked himself away, in the throes of creation for days on end.

Examples

  • She was in the throes of creation and barely noticed the phone ringing.

  • While in the throes of creation, he found inspiration in the smallest details.

  • She was in the throes of creation when I visited her studio.

  • Are you still in the throes of creation for your new book?

  • The composer was in the throes of creation, struggling to finish his latest symphony.

  • She felt in the throes of creation as she painted her masterpiece late into the night.

  • While in the throes of creation, he often lost track of time and forgot to eat.

Synonyms

in midstream
vsin the throes of creation
3 6.5

While something is still happening and not finished

is deeply absorbed and intensely involved, often struggling while making something
midstream
vsin the throes of creation
3.8

While an action or task is happening and not finished

is deeply absorbed and intensely engaged, often showing struggle while making something

Antonyms

disengaged
1 4.7

Not involved or interested in something and not paying attention

distracted
3.1

Not able to pay attention because your mind is on other things

How Absorbed

in the throes of creation
8.2
to immerse in
28 4.2
involved
355 3.5
working
1.0
dabbling
2 4.2

Surface Forms

in the throes of creation main

Morphology

in + the + throe + of + creation

The phrase combines 'throes' (intense pain/struggle) with 'of creation' (the act/process of creating), so a learner who knows those constituents can infer being deeply engaged or struggling in creative work. The metaphorical extension from physical pain to intense involvement is predictable and follows a regular 'in the X of Y' compositional pattern, making the meaning derivable from the parts.

Etymology

In the throes of creation comes from the word throes, which meant the strong pains of childbirth or other hard struggles and gives the image of someone caught in powerful moments of making something new. So it means being 'deeply engaged' or 'intensely struggling' while creating.