burned-out
Americanadjective
-
rendered unserviceable or ineffectual by maximum use; consumed.
Check your outdoor lights and replace any burned-out bulbs.
-
exhausted or made listless through overwork, stress, or intemperance.
-
deprived of one's regular place to live, work, etc., by a destructive fire.
Etymology
Origin of burned-out
First recorded in 1805–15
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.
Footage analysed by BBC Verify and online by GeoConfirmed open source analysts shows burned-out shells of container lorries and other military vehicles at multiple locations along a key route through southern Ukraine.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
In the video, he shows an Airstream trailer on the burned-out lot, where he says he lives since they won’t let him rebuild his home.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
Now through their LP “Free Spirits,” they continue to comment on the trope of the burned-out, exhausted artist who through a soul-stripping retreat can find renewal once again.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026
On his way, about 30 miles from Russian positions, he passed burned-out supply trucks, including those loaded with gasoline and bread.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
Alex’s dad found a parking spot in front of the burned-out lot at 417 Van Orton Street.
From "Eleven" by Tom Rogers
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.
