exhaustion

noun

ex·​haus·​tion ig-ˈzȯs-chən 

: the act or process of exhausting : the state of being exhausted

Synonyms of exhaustion

• fatigue
• collapse

Examples of exhaustion in a Sentence

He worked to the point of complete exhaustion.

the exhaustion of our natural resources

Recent Examples on the Web

Sprinted toward the water’s edge and bent in exhaustion. —Courtney Crowder, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026

Treat Burnout as Feedback, Not Failure Rather than treating burnout as failure, it can be taken as feedback or a point in the cycle where exhaustion forces change. —Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026

Yet even in that exhaustion, something else was taking shape. —Dr. Joseph D'orazio, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026

End lactation syndrome, a condition of postweaning emaciation and exhaustion, is a common cause of death among females. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing exhaustion

• heat exhaustion

Rhymes for exhaustion

• faustian

Kids Definition

exhaustion

noun

ex·​haus·​tion ig-ˈzȯs-chən 

1

: the act of exhausting

2

: the state of being exhausted

Medical Definition

exhaustion

noun

ex·​haus·​tion ig-ˈzȯs-chən 

1

: the act or process of exhausting : the state of being exhausted

suffered from physical and mental exhaustion

see heat exhaustion

2

: neurosis following overstrain or overexertion especially in military combat

Legal Definition

exhaustion

noun

ex·​haus·​tion

: the act or process of exhausting

even after the exhaustion of direct appellate review

—W. R. LaFave and J. H. Israel

specifically : exhaustion of remedies