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
Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024
Career path programs and retention strategies to fight burnout, fatigue, and skill gaps.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2024
Pressure to maintain image: The influencer may feel pressure to maintain their image and continue to produce content, which could lead to burnout or decreased performance in their role.
—Peter Su, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024
In addition to decreasing feelings of nurse burnout, the virtual nurse can also act as a mentor to novice nurses who have just entered the profession.
—Nick Blackmer, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024
Quitting spiked during the pandemic, reaching 5.5% of all workers each month in 2022, as millions of workers left the industry because of burnout or COVID fears.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
Studies have shown that workers who lack a healthy work life balance are likely to experience burnout, anxiety, stress and other mental health conditions.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The company has even seen that effect in reviews written by workers who were unaffected by layoffs, but still reported stress and burnout from job cuts in their industry.
—Jane Thier, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
Shifting away from a state of burnout won’t happen overnight.
—Jia Rizvi, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2024
Health care and social assistance January 2024 quits rate: 2%
2019 average: 2%
Difference: 0
Many health care workers burned out and quit during the pandemic.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
Buildings falling down, burned out, abandoned, condemned, occupied by squatters.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
Photographs from the site of the strike provided by international news agencies showed one of the three cars that staff were moving in completely burned out by the roadside.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 2 Apr. 2024
Cops would show up when drivers revved their engines or burned out.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2024
But workers do say that they are burnt out, they are stressed.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024
By the end of the summer of 1995, after a year and a half on the road, Cuomo had seriously burned out on touring and decided to leave music and enroll at Harvard.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024
There, the technician established that the connector from the charging socket to the charging unit had burnt out.
—José Rodríguez Jr. / Jalopnik, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024
Noun
Instead, the report suggests that companies tie their mental health initiatives to a broader organizational strategy and goal—for instance, reducing burnout or attrition.
—Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024
Career path programs and retention strategies to fight burnout, fatigue, and skill gaps.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2024
Pressure to maintain image: The influencer may feel pressure to maintain their image and continue to produce content, which could lead to burnout or decreased performance in their role.
—Peter Su, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024
In addition to decreasing feelings of nurse burnout, the virtual nurse can also act as a mentor to novice nurses who have just entered the profession.
—Nick Blackmer, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024
Quitting spiked during the pandemic, reaching 5.5% of all workers each month in 2022, as millions of workers left the industry because of burnout or COVID fears.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
Studies have shown that workers who lack a healthy work life balance are likely to experience burnout, anxiety, stress and other mental health conditions.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The company has even seen that effect in reviews written by workers who were unaffected by layoffs, but still reported stress and burnout from job cuts in their industry.
—Jane Thier, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
Shifting away from a state of burnout won’t happen overnight.
—Jia Rizvi, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Verb
The searches have been, at times, helpful, such as when a community search group found a blanket Robinson kept in her car, just days after the car was found burned out in an alley behind a home on North 29th Street and close to where other human remains where found.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2024
Health care and social assistance January 2024 quits rate: 2%
2019 average: 2%
Difference: 0
Many health care workers burned out and quit during the pandemic.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
Buildings falling down, burned out, abandoned, condemned, occupied by squatters.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
Photographs from the site of the strike provided by international news agencies showed one of the three cars that staff were moving in completely burned out by the roadside.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 2 Apr. 2024
Cops would show up when drivers revved their engines or burned out.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2024
But workers do say that they are burnt out, they are stressed.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024
By the end of the summer of 1995, after a year and a half on the road, Cuomo had seriously burned out on touring and decided to leave music and enroll at Harvard.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024
There, the technician established that the connector from the charging socket to the charging unit had burnt out.
—José Rodríguez Jr. / Jalopnik, Quartz, 13 Mar. 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 23 Apr. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share