burnout

[ burn-out ]

/ ˈbɜrnˌaʊt /

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See synonyms for burnout on Thesaurus.com

noun

a fire that is totally destructive of something.

Also burn-out . fatigue, frustration, or apathy resulting from prolonged stress, overwork, or intense activity.

Rocketry.

the termination of effective combustion in a rocket engine, due to exhaustion of propellant.
the end of the powered portion of a rocket's flight.

Electricity. the breakdown of a lamp, motor, or other electrical device due to the heat created by the current flowing through it.

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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Origin of burnout

First recorded in 1900–05; noun use of verb phrase burn out

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use burnout in a sentence

Really, is it any wonder that fluoride should freak people out?
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
For a while yoga and pilates classes were sought out at luxury gyms like Equinox.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
On Thursday, Garcetti ruled himself out of the race to succeed Boxer.
The Golden State Preps for the ‘Red Wedding’ of Senate Races|David Freedlander|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Police officials told the AP that they came out with guns blazing.
France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers|Nico Hines|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST

“I think for trans men who are dating every time they hook up they have another coming out,” Sandler said.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem|David Levesley|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And he was gone, and out of sight on the swift galloping Benito, before Father Gaspara bethought himself.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
Most of the men leaped up, caught hold of spears or knives, and rushed out.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
Truth is a torch, but one of enormous size; so that we slink past it in rather a blinking fashion for fear it should burn us.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
Liszt looked at it, and to her fright and dismay cried out in a fit of impatience, "No, I won't hear it!"
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
The most High hath created medicines out of the earth, and a wise man will not abhor them.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various

British Dictionary definitions for burnout

burn out

verb (adverb)

to become or cause to become worn out or inoperative as a result of heat or frictionthe clutch burnt out

(intr) (of a rocket, jet engine, etc) to cease functioning as a result of exhaustion of the fuel supply

(tr; usually passive) to destroy by fire

to become or cause to become exhausted through overwork or dissipation

noun burnout

the failure of a mechanical device from excessive heating

a total loss of energy and interest and an inability to function effectively, experienced as a result of excessive demands upon one's resources or chronic overwork

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with burnout

burn out

Stop functioning because something, such as fuel, has been used up. For example, There's nothing wrong with the lamp; the light bulb just burned out. [Late 1300s]

be burned out. Lose one's home, place of work, or school as the result of a fire. For example, Hundreds of tenants are burned out every year because of negligent landlords.

Also, burn oneself out. Make or become exhausted or disaffected, especially with one's work or schooling. For example, Many young lawyers burn themselves out after a few years of 70-hour weeks. This metaphoric term alludes to a fire going out for lack of new fuel. Robert Southey used it in an 1816 essay: “The spirit of Jacobinism was burnt out in France.” [1970s]