当你在 treading water 时，这就是指你处于停滞阶段，没有发展。

例句

I feel like I'm treading water at work. I feel like I'm never going to get a promotion.

I'm not enjoying this degree course any more. I'm just treading water.

请注意

另一个短语 tread on someone's toes 的书面意思是踩到了别人的脚趾头，指干涉别人的事情，得罪别人。

Alan keeps treading on my toes and doing the rota when it's supposed to be part of my job.