exhausted
Americanadjective
Synonym Usage
See tired 1.
Etymology
Origin of exhausted
First recorded in 1660–70; exhaust ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )
Explanation
Up too late studying? Want nothing more than to get a little bit of sleep? Sounds like you're exhausted — all of your energy has been used up. Exhausted is spent, drained, and depleted. Though you might associate the word exhausted with people, it's a word that can be used to talk about anything that's depleted. You might want to continue traveling around Europe, but if your funds are exhausted, it's time to go home. If you're trying to get in touch with the airline so you can make a reservation for your homeward-bound trip, your patience may become exhausted after being placed on hold for hours.
Vocabulary lists containing exhausted
Excerpt from "Flipped"
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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Messenger
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
You can give it a shot, of course, but when you have exhausted the last option, you have a choice to make.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026
In that performance Mr. Biden had called the president of Egypt, Abdel El-Sisi, “the president of Mexico” and generally sounded confused, angry and exhausted.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
I found myself in a constant pursuit of the best, and I was exhausted by the search, one that began to feel possibly impossible to accomplish.
From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026
In middle aged mice, the cancer released molecules that suppressed or exhausted γδ T cells.
From Science Daily • May 31, 2026
Ice-cold and exhausted, the boys slumped over Nanuq, their arms wrapped around him in a great big bear hug.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
