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

The exhaustion shouldn’t derive from the expression’s usage. —Sam McDowell December 3, Kansas City Star, 3 Dec. 2025

This climb back above 30 is a classic sign of seller exhaustion and often serves as an early green light for buyers re-entering the market. —Nishant Pant, CNBC, 2 Dec. 2025

Traditionally, performance had been an unhealthy model, defined by maximum physical exertion and exhaustion, as in the lives of jazz musicians in the 1940s and ’50s. —Diedrich Diederichsen, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025

The journey from Mount Lemmon to Casa Blanca Canyon presented challenges like rocky terrain, extreme weather, and physical exhaustion. —Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 1 Dec. 2025

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