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

When John begins spitting out his food, his mother, Heather (Shirley Henderson), worn down by exhaustion and anger, banishes him from the dinner table—the first in an unceasing series of maternal rejections. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026

Sepideh Moafi is incredible in this scene, perfectly hitting every note of the anger, fear, and exhaustion Al-Hashimi is feeling. —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026

The exhaustion was already setting in last year when thieves broke into the property, taking and damaging more than a dozen headstones from the graveyard, which is the final resting place for hundreds of veterans, including several Union soldiers from the Civil War. —Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026

Due to exhaustion, 40% have considered quitting their careers. —Taylor Lorenz, Vanity Fair, 15 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