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
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
Like many folks in the restaurant industry, Cooper works long hours with limited help, which can contribute to burnout, something 80% of hospitality workers have experienced.
—Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2024
Pharmacists are increasingly losing their professional autonomy amid the rapid consolidation and corporatization of the industry, Hogue told USA TODAY on Sunday during the association’s annual conference, which featured several sessions about dealing with stress and burnout.
—USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2024
Which is why Private Equity, the memoir of former hedge fund executive assistant Carrie Sun, is making waves for its entertaining and exhaustive detailing of the ins-and-outs of assistant work, and the intense burnout Sun dealt with along the way.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2024
Too few breaks from work can cause burnout, fatigue, poor morale and lower job satisfaction.
—Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
While remote employees tend to be more productive than their in-office counterparts, burnout is a potential downside.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 21 Mar. 2024
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
Cannon and Township Fire Chief Tim Duncan said crews let small fires burn out, and the site had some explosions Tuesday night into Wednesday.
—Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024
Climate change is increasing the risk of wildfires in Texas, a danger made real this week as the Smokehouse Creek fire, the largest in state history, burns out of control across the Panhandle region.
—Christopher Flavelle, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024
Good Well-Being Intentions Well-being efforts fail and people burn out.
—Andrew Deutscher, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
Noun
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
Like many folks in the restaurant industry, Cooper works long hours with limited help, which can contribute to burnout, something 80% of hospitality workers have experienced.
—Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2024
Pharmacists are increasingly losing their professional autonomy amid the rapid consolidation and corporatization of the industry, Hogue told USA TODAY on Sunday during the association’s annual conference, which featured several sessions about dealing with stress and burnout.
—USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2024
Which is why Private Equity, the memoir of former hedge fund executive assistant Carrie Sun, is making waves for its entertaining and exhaustive detailing of the ins-and-outs of assistant work, and the intense burnout Sun dealt with along the way.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2024
Too few breaks from work can cause burnout, fatigue, poor morale and lower job satisfaction.
—Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
While remote employees tend to be more productive than their in-office counterparts, burnout is a potential downside.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 21 Mar. 2024
Verb
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
Cannon and Township Fire Chief Tim Duncan said crews let small fires burn out, and the site had some explosions Tuesday night into Wednesday.
—Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024
Climate change is increasing the risk of wildfires in Texas, a danger made real this week as the Smokehouse Creek fire, the largest in state history, burns out of control across the Panhandle region.
—Christopher Flavelle, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024
Good Well-Being Intentions Well-being efforts fail and people burn out.
—Andrew Deutscher, Forbes, 22 Feb. 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.
Word History
First Known Use
Noun
1940, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1710, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near burnout
Cite this Entry
“Burnout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burnout. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids 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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