burnout
Americannoun
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a fire that is totally destructive of something.
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Also burn-out fatigue, frustration, or apathy resulting from prolonged stress, overwork, or intense activity.
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Rocketry.
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the termination of effective combustion in a rocket engine, due to exhaustion of propellant.
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the end of the powered portion of a rocket's flight.
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Electricity. the breakdown of a lamp, motor, or other electrical device due to the heat created by the current flowing through it.
Etymology
Origin of burnout
First recorded in 1900–05; noun use of verb phrase burn out
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.
She sees many single 20-somethings suffering from dating app burnout.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
The duo faced the threat of burnout once more in 2025 while preparing for their first televised awards.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
The Seafarers' Charity cites hypervigilance, burnout, fatigue, loneliness, depression and anxiety as some of the mental strains facing the 20,000 seafarers stranded by Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz since February 28.
From Barron's • May 9, 2026
That high-paced environment isn’t for everyone — burnout is a frequent experience for SpaceX employees, both current and former — but it can pay off.
From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026
I said, and recognized at once that I was on the brink of a dangerous condition known as retail burnout.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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.
