Feeling exhausted, drained, or just plain worn out? Idioms for tiredness add a vibrant and expressive twist to describing that bone-deep fatigue we all experience from time to time. These colorful phrases capture the essence of physical, mental, or emotional exhaustion in ways that make conversations more engaging and relatable. In this extensive listicle, we’ll dive into 48 idioms related to being tired, unpack their meanings, and illustrate each with a sentence that brings the expression to life. So, let’s embark on this journey through the language of lethargy and discover how to articulate exhaustion with flair!
What is an Idiom for Tired?
Idioms for tired are figurative expressions that use imaginative language to describe the state of being exhausted, fatigued, or depleted of energy. These phrases often convey the nuances of tiredness—whether from physical exertion, mental strain, or emotional weariness—in a way that’s vivid and memorable. Let’s explore each idiom, unravel its meaning, and see how it can add a spark to your conversations about feeling spent.
Idioms for Tired
1. Dead on Your Feet
Meaning: Extremely exhausted to the point where you can barely stand or function.
In a Sentence: After working a double shift at the hospital, she was dead on her feet and could barely keep her eyes open.
2. Burned Out
Meaning: Mentally and physically exhausted, often due to prolonged stress or overwork.
In a Sentence: Years of relentless deadlines left him completely burned out, yearning for a long vacation to recharge.
3. Running on Fumes
Meaning: Operating with very little energy or resources left, as if you’re nearly out of fuel.
In a Sentence: After pulling an all-nighter to finish the project, he was running on fumes during the morning meeting.
4. Wiped Out
Meaning: Utterly exhausted, with no energy remaining, often after intense activity.
In a Sentence: The marathon left her so wiped out that she collapsed onto the couch and slept for hours.
5. Bone Tired
Meaning: Deeply exhausted, feeling fatigue that seems to penetrate to your very bones.
In a Sentence: After hiking for miles in the scorching sun, he felt bone tired and longed for a cool shower and rest.
6. Beat
Meaning: Extremely tired, often to the point of feeling physically or mentally defeated.
In a Sentence: The long day of moving furniture left them both beat, unable to do anything but crash on the sofa.
7. Knackered
Meaning: British slang for being completely exhausted or worn out.
In a Sentence: After spending the entire weekend renovating the house, she was absolutely knackered and needed a day to recover.
8. Pooped
Meaning: Informally exhausted, often after a fun or strenuous activity.
In a Sentence: The kids were pooped after a day of running around at the amusement park, falling asleep in the car.
9. Drained
Meaning: Feeling completely depleted of energy, emotionally or physically.
In a Sentence: The emotional toll of the family argument left her drained, unable to focus on anything else.
10. Dog Tired
Meaning: Extremely tired, as weary as a dog after a long day of activity.
In a Sentence: After chasing the toddler around all day, she was dog tired and ready for an early bedtime.
11. Out of Gas
Meaning: Having no energy left, similar to a vehicle that has run out of fuel.
In a Sentence: By the end of the conference, he was out of gas and could barely muster the energy to pack his bags.
12. Fagged Out
Meaning: Exhausted from exertion, often used in informal contexts.
In a Sentence: The intense gym session left him fagged out, barely able to lift his water bottle afterward.
13. Tuckered Out
Meaning: Completely worn out, often after a day of physical or playful activity.
In a Sentence: The puppies were tuckered out after hours of romping in the yard, curling up for a nap.
14. Spent
Meaning: Having used up all your energy or resources, leaving you exhausted.
In a Sentence: After delivering the keynote speech, she felt spent and needed a quiet evening to recuperate.
15. Zonked
Meaning: Utterly exhausted or knocked out, often to the point of disorientation.
In a Sentence: The overnight flight left him zonked, stumbling through the airport in a daze.
16. Done In
Meaning: Completely exhausted, often to the point of being unable to continue.
In a Sentence: The grueling week of exams left her done in, collapsing into bed as soon as she got home.
17. Worn to a Frazzle
Meaning: Extremely tired and frayed, both physically and mentally.
In a Sentence: Juggling work and parenting had her worn to a frazzle, desperate for a moment of peace.
18. On Your Last Legs
Meaning: Nearing complete exhaustion, with barely enough energy to keep going.
In a Sentence: After hours of dancing at the wedding, they were on their last legs but still smiling.
19. Bushed
Meaning: Very tired, often after physical exertion or a long day.
In a Sentence: The long hike through the mountains left him bushed, ready to collapse by the campfire.
20. Shattered
Meaning: Completely exhausted, often with a sense of being broken or overwhelmed.
In a Sentence: The emotional rollercoaster of the day left her shattered, unable to process anything more.
21. Creamed
Meaning: Slang for being utterly exhausted, often after a challenging task.
In a Sentence: The intense workout session left him creamed, barely able to walk to the locker room.
22. Fried
Meaning: Mentally or physically exhausted, often from overthinking or overworking.
In a Sentence: After hours of troubleshooting the software bug, his brain felt fried and he needed a break.
23. Wasted
Meaning: Completely exhausted or worn out, often with a sense of being depleted.
In a Sentence: The all-day music festival left them wasted, sprawled out on the grass to recover.
24. Whacked
Meaning: Extremely tired, often with a sense of being hit hard by fatigue.
In a Sentence: The long commute home after work left her whacked, collapsing onto the couch immediately.
25. Played Out
Meaning: Exhausted or no longer able to continue due to lack of energy.
In a Sentence: By the end of the soccer match, the players were played out, barely able to jog off the field.
26. Sapped
Meaning: Having your energy drained or depleted, often by a demanding task.
In a Sentence: The endless meetings sapped her energy, leaving her too tired to cook dinner.
27. Done For
Meaning: Completely exhausted or finished, often with no hope of continuing.
In a Sentence: After the 12-hour shift, he was done for and couldn’t even think about doing anything else.
28. Flat Out
Meaning: Exhausted from working at maximum effort or capacity.
In a Sentence: The team was flat out after preparing for the product launch, needing a weekend to recover.
29. Washed Out
Meaning: Feeling weak, tired, or lacking energy, often with a pale or drained appearance.
In a Sentence: The flu left her washed out, barely able to get out of bed for days.
30. Run Ragged
Meaning: Exhausted from being overworked or constantly busy.
In a Sentence: The holiday season ran her ragged, juggling shopping, cooking, and hosting guests.
31. Worn Out
Meaning: Completely exhausted, as if used up or depleted like an old object.
In a Sentence: The demanding project wore her out, leaving her desperate for a day of rest.
32. Dead Beat
Meaning: Utterly exhausted, often with a sense of being defeated by fatigue.
In a Sentence: After the cross-country road trip, they were dead beat and checked into a hotel to sleep.
33. Drooping
Meaning: Physically or mentally sagging from exhaustion, like a wilting plant.
In a Sentence: By the end of the festival, the volunteers were drooping, barely able to keep their eyes open.
34. Faint from Fatigue
Meaning: So exhausted that you feel close to collapsing or losing consciousness.
In a Sentence: The intense heat and long hours of work left him faint from fatigue, needing to sit down immediately.
35. Ready to Drop
Meaning: So tired that you feel you might collapse at any moment.
In a Sentence: After painting the entire house, she was ready to drop and couldn’t lift another brush.
36. Bleary-Eyed
Meaning: Tired to the point where your eyes are watery, blurry, or heavy from lack of sleep.
In a Sentence: Pulling an all-nighter left him bleary-eyed, struggling to read the fine print on the label.
37. Punch-Drunk
Meaning: Dazed and disoriented from extreme exhaustion, like a boxer after a fight.
In a Sentence: The week of night shifts left her punch-drunk, forgetting where she parked her car.
38. Groggy
Meaning: Feeling sluggish, disoriented, or slow due to tiredness or lack of sleep.
In a Sentence: Waking up after only a few hours of sleep, he felt groggy and needed coffee to function.
39. Out of Steam
Meaning: Having no energy left to continue, like a machine that’s run out of power.
In a Sentence: Halfway through the charity run, she ran out of steam and had to walk the rest of the way.
40. Sleepyheaded
Meaning: Feeling drowsy or mentally foggy due to tiredness or just waking up.
In a Sentence: The early morning meeting found her sleepyheaded, struggling to follow the discussion.
41. Drowsy
Meaning: Feeling sleepy or on the verge of falling asleep due to exhaustion.
In a Sentence: The long lecture left her drowsy, fighting to keep her eyelids from closing.
42. Lethargic
Meaning: Lacking energy or enthusiasm, often due to physical or mental fatigue.
In a Sentence: The oppressive heat made him lethargic, unable to muster the energy to finish his chores.
43. Sluggish
Meaning: Moving or thinking slowly due to tiredness or low energy.
In a Sentence: After a sleepless night, she felt sluggish, taking twice as long to complete her tasks.
44. Heavy-Lidded
Meaning: Having eyelids that feel heavy or droopy due to extreme tiredness.
In a Sentence: The late-night study session left him heavy-lidded, barely able to focus on the textbook.
45. Overworked
Meaning: Exhausted from being given too many tasks or responsibilities.
In a Sentence: The understaffed team was overworked, struggling to meet deadlines without collapsing.
46. Exhausted to the Core
Meaning: Deeply tired, with every part of your being feeling depleted.
In a Sentence: The emotional and physical demands of caregiving left her exhausted to the core, needing a long break.
47. Burnt to a Crisp
Meaning: Completely exhausted, often with a humorous nod to being “cooked” by effort.
In a Sentence: After the intense rehearsal, the dancers were burnt to a crisp, sprawled across the studio floor.
48. Dead to the World
Meaning: So exhausted or deeply asleep that you’re unaware of your surroundings.
In a Sentence: After the grueling day, he was dead to the world, sleeping through his alarm the next morning.
Quizzes About The Idioms in The Article
Quiz 1: Dead on Your Feet
What does the idiom “Dead on your feet” mean?
a) Standing tall and energetic
b) Extremely exhausted and barely able to function
c) Feeling refreshed after rest
d) Running quickly
Quiz 2: Burned Out
What is the meaning of “Burned out”?
a) Full of energy and enthusiasm
b) Mentally and physically exhausted from overwork
c) Excited about a new project
d) Relaxed after a vacation
Quiz 3: Running on Fumes
When someone says, “Running on fumes,” what are they emphasizing?
a) Having plenty of energy
b) Operating with very little energy left
c) Feeling refreshed and alert
d) Being highly motivated
Quiz 4: Wiped Out
What does the idiom “Wiped out” suggest?
a) Feeling energized and ready to go
b) Utterly exhausted with no energy left
c) Completing a task quickly
d) Starting a new activity
Quiz 5: Bone Tired
What situation is described by the idiom “Bone tired”?
a) Feeling a deep, penetrating exhaustion
b) Being full of energy
c) Experiencing mild discomfort
d) Feeling emotionally uplifted
Quiz 6: Knackered
If someone is “knackered,” what do they mean?
a) They are completely exhausted
b) They are ready to start a new task
c) They are feeling refreshed
d) They are emotionally excited
Quiz 7: Zonked
What does the expression “Zonked” imply?
a) Feeling disoriented from exhaustion
b) Being highly alert and focused
c) Starting a new project with energy
d) Feeling calm and relaxed
Quiz 8: Worn to a Frazzle
When is it appropriate to say, “Worn to a frazzle”?
a) When feeling energized and ready
b) When extremely tired and frayed
c) When starting a new hobby
d) When completing a task easily
Quiz 9: On Your Last Legs
What is the meaning of “On your last legs”?
a) Having barely enough energy to continue
b) Feeling strong and capable
c) Starting a new challenge with enthusiasm
d) Resting comfortably
Quiz 10: Dead to the World
When someone says, “Dead to the world,” what are they describing?
a) Being highly alert and aware
b) Being so exhausted or asleep that they’re unaware of surroundings
c) Feeling energized and active
d) Starting a new day with enthusiasm
Answers:
- b
- b
- b
- b
- a
- a
- a
- b
- a
- b
Conclusion
Idioms for tired are like linguistic snapshots of exhaustion, capturing the many shades of fatigue with creativity and humor. Whether you’re running on fumes, worn to a frazzle, or dead to the world, these expressions offer a vivid way to share your state of weariness with others. Next time you’re feeling drained, sprinkle a few of these idioms into your conversations to describe your tiredness with a touch of flair and personality.