as in exhausted
depleted in strength, energy, or freshness
I'm absolutely knackered, so no pub-crawling for me tonight
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Recent Examples of knackered
Yep, see how absolutely knackered and completely nonplussed the players are from a totally new angle.
—
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
The bones of knackered cattle in the glue that held his antique books together.
—Daisy Hildyard, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024
The bones of knackered cattle in the glue that held his antique books together.
—Daisy Hildyard, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024
The adrenaline from having our first child (and keeping him alive) got me through the first several days without feeling completely knackered, but my lack of nocturnal restoration eventually took its toll.
—Patrick Wilson, Outside Online, 15 June 2020
And, if their knees get too knackered, there’s a backup Santa.
—Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2021
Mounting a knackered horse and dragging a fat old farmer, Sancho, in his wake, the don declares undying love for an ordinary girl out of her depth.
—Jeanette Winterson, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2019
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
The bones of knackered cattle in the glue that held his antique books together.
—Daisy Hildyard, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024
The bones of knackered cattle in the glue that held his antique books together.
—Daisy Hildyard, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024
The adrenaline from having our first child (and keeping him alive) got me through the first several days without feeling completely knackered, but my lack of nocturnal restoration eventually took its toll.
—Patrick Wilson, Outside Online, 15 June 2020
And, if their knees get too knackered, there’s a backup Santa.
—Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2021
Mounting a knackered horse and dragging a fat old farmer, Sancho, in his wake, the don declares undying love for an ordinary girl out of her depth.
—Jeanette Winterson, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knackered
Adjective
-
This is why people often feel exhausted after a day filled with interruptions, even if the total workload was manageable.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
-
King Charles can't get involved in Prince Harry's security woes: author Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and author of ‘My Mother and I,’ explains why the monarch is too exhausted to deal with his younger son’s ongoing court battle.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
But people here are tired of seeing Farmington in the headlines as a town that's losing population.—
Kirk Siegler,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2025
-
And there’s kids who are tired, or crying or can’t handle it.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knackered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knackered. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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