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

Peter Barnum, one of the people on shore who raced to the rescue, described the exhaustion of one of the victims, the father. —Ted Scouten, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026

In this sense, extraction implies not exhaustion but ongoing stewardship within ecological limits. —Manuela Moscoso, Artforum, 2 Apr. 2026

That bone-deep exhaustion during perimenopause is easy to explain away. —Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026

Why So Many Women Miss It The exhaustion gets absorbed into everyday life. —Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 1 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