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.
Exhausted Afghans cross the border from Iran in a sandstorm, leaving behind a country in the grip of war to return to a homeland that is battered by conflict and humanitarian crisis.
From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026
Exhausted by the end of the day, I began turning down evening invitations from friends and colleagues.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
Exhausted entrants to the Great North Run sweated their way through Newcastle, Gateshead and South Shields to pick up their medals last week.
From BBC • Sep. 13, 2025
Exhausted from the high-living and heavy travelling, they played appallingly and lost.
From BBC • Jun. 22, 2025
Exhausted, Jethro curled up beside his father and dove into a silent world of sleep.
From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt
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.
