exhaustion
Americannoun
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the act or process of exhausting.
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the state of being exhausted.
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extreme weakness or fatigue.
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the total consumption of something.
the exhaustion of your vacation benefits for the year.
noun
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extreme tiredness; fatigue
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the condition of being used up; consumption
exhaustion of the earth's resources
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the act of exhausting or the state of being exhausted
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of exhaustion
First recorded in 1640–50, exhaustion is from the New Latin word exhaustiōn- (stem of exhaustiō ). See exhaust, -ion
Explanation
Exhaustion is a state of being incredibly tired. Running a marathon on a hot day often results in exhaustion. Your exhaustion might be due to physical fatigue, after shoveling snow for hours or chasing after your runaway dog, or mental tiredness. A terrible argument with your best friend can lead to exhaustion, for example. Another kind of exhaustion is caused by illness or general weakness. Exhaustion comes from the verb exhaust, "a drawing off," specifically of strength. from the Latin exhaurire, "draw off" or "take away."
Vocabulary lists containing exhaustion
A Single Shard
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Adrift
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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.
In an update on Friday evening, Division 3 Fire Chief Mark Backoff said that six homes had either been damaged or destroyed by the Norte Fire, and one firefighter had been injured from heat exhaustion.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
"Although these conditions are triggered by completely different events, they may ultimately disrupt the same fundamental biological systems and produce the similarly devastating exhaustion experienced by millions worldwide."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
In one snap, Baer has captured the noises and jostling of an uncomfortable train journey, the exhaustion of deployment and a hope for a new life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
"Another year of strain, of exhaustion, of hopelessness," Estanislao Mendoza, one of the parents of the 43, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
Eventually she drifted off out of sheer exhaustion, and did not wake again until Margaret tiptoed into her bedchamber with a jug of fresh water for the washbasin.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
