exhaust

American  

[ig-zawst] / ɪgˈzɔst /

verb (used with object)

• exhausts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• exhausted,
  past participle,  past
• exhausting
  present participle

1. to drain of strength or energy, wear out, or fatigue greatly, as a person.

   I have exhausted myself working.

   Synonyms:

   debilitate, prostrate, enervate, tire

   Antonyms:

   invigorate, strengthen

2. to use up or consume completely; expend the whole of.

   He exhausted a fortune in stock-market speculation.

   Synonyms:

   dissipate, squander, waste

3. to draw out all that is essential in (a subject, topic, etc.); treat or study thoroughly.

4. to empty by drawing out the contents.

   to exhaust a tank of fuel oil.

   Synonyms:

   void

   Antonyms:

   fill

5. to create a vacuum in.

6. to draw out or drain off completely.

7. to deprive wholly of useful or essential properties, possessions, resources, etc.

8. Chemistry, Pharmacology. to deprive of ingredients by the use of solvents, as a drug.

9. to destroy the fertility of (soil), as by intensive cultivation.

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verb (used without object)

• exhausts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• exhausted,
  past participle,  past
• exhausting
  present participle

1. to pass out or escape, as spent steam from the cylinder of an engine.

noun

Machinery.

• exhausts
  plural

1. the escape of steam or gases from the cylinder of an engine.

2. the steam or gases ejected.

   Synonyms:

   vapor, smoke, fume

3. Also called exhaust system. the parts of an engine through which the exhaust is ejected.

exhaust British  

/ ɪɡˈzɔːst /

verb

1. to drain the energy of; tire out

   to exhaust someone by constant questioning

2. to deprive of resources, etc

   a nation exhausted by war

3. to deplete totally; expend; consume

   to exhaust food supplies

4. to empty (a container) by drawing off or pumping out (the contents)

5. to develop or discuss thoroughly so that no further interest remains

   to exhaust a topic of conversation

6. to remove gas from (a vessel, etc) in order to reduce the pressure or create a vacuum; evacuate

7. to remove or use up the active ingredients from (a drug, solution, etc)

8. to destroy the fertility of (soil) by excessive cultivation

9. (intr) (of steam or other gases) to be emitted or to escape from an engine after being expanded

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noun

1. gases ejected from an engine as waste products

2. 1. the expulsion of expanded gas or steam from an engine

   2. ( as modifier )

      exhaust stroke

3. 1. the parts of an engine through which the exhausted gases or steam pass

   2. ( as modifier )

      exhaust valve

      exhaust pipe

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• exhauster
  noun
• exhaustibility
  noun
• multiexhaust
  noun
• preexhaust
  verb (used with object)
• exhausted
  adjective
• exhaustible
  adjective
• exhausting
  adjective
• nonexhausted
  adjective
• nonexhaustible
  adjective
• unexhausted
  adjective
• unexhaustedly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• exhausts
  plural

Participles

• exhausting
  present
• exhausted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• exhaust
  simple
• exhausts
  simple
• have exhausted
  perfect
• has exhausted
  perfect
• am exhausting
  progressive
• are exhausting
  progressive
• is exhausting
  progressive
• have been exhausting
  perfect progressive
• has been exhausting
  perfect progressive

Past

• exhausted
  simple
• had exhausted
  perfect
• was exhausting
  progressive
• were exhausting
  progressive
• had been exhausting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will exhaust
  simple
• will have exhausted
  perfect
• will be exhausting
  progressive
• will have been exhausting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of exhaust

1515–25; 1895–1900 exhaust for def. 11; < Latin exhaustus emptied out, drained out, past participle of exhaurīre

Explanation

The noun exhaust refers to what comes out of your car's tailpipe. It consists of the burned gases and particulate matter that are created by the engine. As a verb, the word exhaust means to use something up, such as a food supply or your energy. The exhaust system in your car is the part that takes the waste created by the car in the form of gas or smoke and expels it through the tailpipe. The noun exhaust appeared in the 19th century, after the invention of the engine. Before that, the word, as a verb, referred only to depleting something, such as a natural resource. Miners deplete a mineral deposit and exhaust the resource.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

exhaust exhausts exhausted exhausting

Throw in a flat-plane crankshaft, low-inertia turbos and equal-length exhaust runners and you’ve got a hurricane on a dimmer switch.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

The researchers say exposure can be reduced by choosing unscented products, improving ventilation with exhaust fans or open windows, and avoiding devices that generate ozone while scented cleaning products are being used.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026

He heard the garage door shut, followed by the roar of a car exhaust.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

It's a situation F1 forced on itself by removing the MGU-H, which recovered energy from the turbo and exhaust, and not allowing recovery from the front axle.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

The Cadillac rumbled down a two-lane highway, kicking up trails of dust and exhaust, a dented rocket ship blasting through time in reverse from the future to a land that Wi-Fi forgot.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

For a reader he is like a guest who overwhelms and exhausts, but who is then invited back for the sheer enjoyment of his absorbing tales, striking insights and charm.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

February saw a surge in both trading activity, which often accompanies comes as a price swing exhausts itself, and institutional repositioning.

From Barron's ● Feb. 26, 2026

When the star exhausts its fuel, this balance collapses.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 16, 2025

But for the audience, those sentiments more accurately reflect Ramsay’s film, a slow burn that exhausts its welcome and dies in a blaze after losing its grip on a meandering narrative.

From Salon ● Nov. 7, 2025

The rocket stood in the cold winter morning, making summer with every breath of its mighty exhausts.

From "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury

As he spoke, mothers in the back rows swayed from side to side, hugging exhausted toddlers who had missed nap time.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

"Ever felt exhausted after a vivid dream?" asks Professor Ko Matsui of Tohoku University.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026

On the long, twisting drive home, I was so exhausted by the turbulent conversation going on in my head.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Frankly, it’s human to feel exhausted by the lifestyles of the rich but not famous when you are struggling to pay for an unexpected roof repair.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

It was as though half her strength had been drained, and she walked like one who was ill or exhausted.

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda

The supertitle screens hang above the set at left and right, and it can be exhausting to keep a dual focus on the characters and their dialogue at the same time.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

“It’s going to be exhausting regardless, but the amount of rest we’ll get in between will be fine.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

Peters spearheaded an exhausting, 1,500-mile island-wide bus tour spanning all 32 counties, completing dozens of radio chats and community stops to promote the swansong.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

The findings indicate that rapidly exhausting neutral hydrogen cannot by itself explain why star formation has declined so strongly.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 3, 2026

“As a chicken, thinking clearly becomes an exhausting challenge. My mind was in a haze. To interact with you like a person, even for a moment, required tremendous concentration.”

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

Related Words

• drain
• fatigue
• frazzle
• impoverish
• overwork
• sap
• tire out
• use up
• weaken
• wear out
• weary