burn·out
ˈbərn-ˌau̇t 
1
: the cessation of operation usually of a jet or rocket engine
also
: the point at which burnout occurs
2
a
: exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration
b
: a person suffering from burnout
3
: a person showing the effects of drug abuse
burned out or burnt out; burning out; burns out
1
: to drive out or destroy the property of by fire
2
: to cause to fail, wear out, or become exhausted especially from overwork or overuse
: to suffer burnout
Synonyms
Examples of burnout in a Sentence
Noun
Teaching can be very stressful, and many teachers eventually suffer burnout.
the burnout rate among teachers
a novel about academic burnouts
Verb
working 12-hour days at that job just burned me out
Recent Examples on the Web
Beth Greenfield, Fortune Well, 23 May 2024
Halting burnout straddles the tension between addressing the individual factors versus the organizational factors behind it.
—Sadie Elisseou, STAT, 23 May 2024
Proper training and support for them will not only reduce burnout, but ultimately lead to better patient outcomes and lowered costs.
—Jessica Kim, Fortune, 21 May 2024
According to wellness and mental health expert Linda Mensah, burnout can manifest in various ways, ranging from subtle signs to obvious indications throughout our workday.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 6 May 2024
Inbox work also contributes to burnout, Sinsky said.
—Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 11 May 2024
Does burnout at work contribute to burnout at home?
—Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024
However, burnout and depression are distinct phenomena.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 8 May 2024
Workers feel burned out and undervalued LinkedIn and Microsoft told Fortune that three reasons behind the sudden uptick in workers eyeing up the exit were burnout, a lack of learning opportunities, and artificial intelligence.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 8 May 2024
Cindy Carcamo, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2024
Once people leave the beach, the flames are left to burn out by themselves.
—Erika I. Ritchie, Orange County Register, 17 May 2024
Filled with worry about the rising cost of living, the possible negative implications of AI in the workplace and increasingly unsustainable workloads, employees are feeling burned out.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2024
Likewise, Microsoft’s Work Trend Index echoed that 68% of people globally struggle with the pace and volume of work and 46% feel burned out.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 8 May 2024
But unfortunately, as some parents are finding out after putting their young athletes through year-round training, children are burning out and suffering injuries, including torn ACLs and concussions.
—Angela Glenn, Baltimore Sun, 3 May 2024
Back to Black fades away on its tragic story of burning out in a way that feels like it’s simply given up.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2024
Workers feel burned out and undervalued LinkedIn and Microsoft told Fortune that three reasons behind the sudden uptick in workers eyeing up the exit were burnout, a lack of learning opportunities, and artificial intelligence.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 8 May 2024
That’s only a small improvement from the early months of 2021, when 66% of parents surveyed were described as burned out.
—Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024
Noun
Even before questions around burnout leading to early retirements, an older population of doctors were a threat to the existing health care system.
—Beth Greenfield, Fortune Well, 23 May 2024
Halting burnout straddles the tension between addressing the individual factors versus the organizational factors behind it.
—Sadie Elisseou, STAT, 23 May 2024
Proper training and support for them will not only reduce burnout, but ultimately lead to better patient outcomes and lowered costs.
—Jessica Kim, Fortune, 21 May 2024
According to wellness and mental health expert Linda Mensah, burnout can manifest in various ways, ranging from subtle signs to obvious indications throughout our workday.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 6 May 2024
Inbox work also contributes to burnout, Sinsky said.
—Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 11 May 2024
Does burnout at work contribute to burnout at home?
—Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024
However, burnout and depression are distinct phenomena.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 8 May 2024
Workers feel burned out and undervalued LinkedIn and Microsoft told Fortune that three reasons behind the sudden uptick in workers eyeing up the exit were burnout, a lack of learning opportunities, and artificial intelligence.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 8 May 2024
Verb
Others burned out and yearned for some kind of work-life balance that is nearly impossible to achieve running your own restaurant.
—Cindy Carcamo, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2024
Once people leave the beach, the flames are left to burn out by themselves.
—Erika I. Ritchie, Orange County Register, 17 May 2024
Filled with worry about the rising cost of living, the possible negative implications of AI in the workplace and increasingly unsustainable workloads, employees are feeling burned out.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2024
Likewise, Microsoft’s Work Trend Index echoed that 68% of people globally struggle with the pace and volume of work and 46% feel burned out.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 8 May 2024
But unfortunately, as some parents are finding out after putting their young athletes through year-round training, children are burning out and suffering injuries, including torn ACLs and concussions.
—Angela Glenn, Baltimore Sun, 3 May 2024
Back to Black fades away on its tragic story of burning out in a way that feels like it’s simply given up.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2024
Workers feel burned out and undervalued LinkedIn and Microsoft told Fortune that three reasons behind the sudden uptick in workers eyeing up the exit were burnout, a lack of learning opportunities, and artificial intelligence.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 8 May 2024
That’s only a small improvement from the early months of 2021, when 66% of parents surveyed were described as burned out.
—Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'burnout.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near burnout
Cite this Entry
“Burnout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burnout. Accessed 2 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
burnout
1 of 2 noun
burn·out
ˈbər-ˌnau̇t
1
: the ending of operation of a jet or rocket engine as a result of the using up or shutting off of fuel
2
: the point in a flight at which burnout occurs
3
: exhaustion of one's bodily or mental strength
burn out
2 of 2 verb1
: to drive out or destroy the property of by fire
2
: to cause to wear out or become exhausted
Medical Definition
burnout
noun
burn·out
ˈbərn-ˌau̇t
1
a
: exhaustion of physical or emotional strength usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration
b
: a person affected with burnout
2
: a person showing the effects of drug abuse
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