exhausted

exhausted — adjective

1. having no energy left at all in your body or mind because you have worked, walke

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

having no energy left at all in your body or mind because you have worked, walked, studied, or done something hard for a long time

Example

Hugo was so exhausted after work that he fell asleep on the bus.

so + exhausted + (that) + result clause

Constanza looked exhausted after carrying boxes up three flights of stairs.

Common collocations
  • exhausted from [activity]
  • exhausted after [activity]
  • physically exhausted
  • mentally exhausted
  • emotionally exhausted
  • feel exhausted
  • look exhausted
  • completely exhausted
  • utterly exhausted
Synonyms
  • drained

    suggests emotional or mental fatigue more than physical; often used after stress or worry

  • worn out

    more informal; implies long-term or repeated effort over time

  • wiped out

    informal and very strong; common in everyday conversation

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be + exhausted

be so + exhausted + (that) + clause

feel / look + exhausted

too + exhausted + to + infinitive

Usage Note

Follows linking verbs such as be, feel, look, and seem. Frequently paired with from or with to state the cause. Unlike tired, this sense has no verb form — the related verb is exhaust, as in 'Climbing the stairs exhausted me.'

Common Mistakes

I was exhausting after the run.
I was exhausted after the run.
exhausting describes something that makes you tired; exhausted describes how you feel.

2. completely used or taken away so that there is nothing left to work with or cont

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

completely used or taken away so that there is nothing left to work with or continue using

Example

The emergency water supplies in the village were nearly exhausted after the dry season.

exhausted supplies / resources

Defne's phone battery was exhausted before she could call for a ride home.

exhausted battery

Common collocations
  • exhausted supplies
  • exhausted resources
  • exhausted budget
  • exhausted funds
  • exhausted battery
  • nearly exhausted
  • almost exhausted
  • completely exhausted
Synonyms
  • depleted

    more formal or technical; common in official or scientific writing

  • used up

    more informal and very common in everyday speech

  • empty

    simpler word; works for containers and batteries

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be + exhausted

become / be becoming + exhausted

exhausted + supplies / resources / budget

Usage Note

Common with nouns that refer to limited amounts — supplies, funds, energy, patience, battery, time. Often appears in passive or progressive structures (is exhausted, is becoming exhausted). In everyday speech, speakers often prefer run out of or used up.

Common Mistakes

The water supply is exhausting.
The water supply is exhausted.
exhausting means it makes people tired; exhausted means it is completely used up.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Tired is the most general word in this group — it simply means you need rest, whether after a normal day or a long one. Drained focuses on the feeling of having your energy taken away, like water being emptied from a container; it often applies to emotional or mental fatigue more than physical. Worn out suggests fatigue from repeated or prolonged use, like an old piece of clothing that has been used too many times. Exhausted is the strongest of the four — it means you have no energy left at all, physically or mentally. For example, a teacher might feel tired after a normal day of classes, drained after a difficult conversation with a parent, worn out by the demands of a full term, and exhausted on the last day before a holiday break.

tired ↗drainedworn out

Common collocations

Adverbs

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Exhausted comes from the verb exhaust, which entered English in the late 1500s. The root is Latin exhaustus, the past participle of exhaurire — ex- meaning 'out' and haurire meaning 'to draw or drain.' The adjective form exhausted first appeared in the 1600s describing people whose energy had been drained away. The meaning of resources being completely used up developed shortly after.