Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

half-dead

British  

adjective

  1. informal very tired

"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

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.

They’re half-dead, their money lines less stable, their leadership gone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

"I was taken from there half-dead when our forces liberated this place."

From BBC • Sep. 20, 2022

He felt guilt and remorse until a few months later, in January 2018, when he went out to empty the trash and discovered an abandoned, half-dead orchid sitting next to the dumpster.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2022

“I don’t want to be a half-dead wreck.”

From New York Times • Dec. 8, 2021

“You made me promise not to get rid of that half-dead stump of a plant, so you owe me a promise too.”

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam