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
-
The Blue Jays had a lead and needed efficient innings to spare an exhausted bullpen.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
-
This feature, essentially a failsafe, Young explained, allows CAR cells to take a break, which can be useful in terms of keeping cytokine production from getting out of control and from becoming exhausted from working too long without time to rejuvenate.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 July 2025
Adjective
-
The toll on crew members goes far beyond simply being tired.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
6 July 2025
-
If tired, float or tread water until out of the rip current.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knackered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knackered. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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