Idioms for Tired provide vivid and expressive ways to convey exhaustion, stress, or burnout—far beyond the usual “I’m tired.” Many people struggle to describe fatigue in a way that truly captures how they feel, often sounding repetitive or flat. Idioms give your words color and personality, helping others understand the intensity or humor of your tiredness. In this article, you’ll explore idioms for tired that make your expressions more engaging, relatable, and memorable.
Best Idioms for Tired
1. Exhausted
Meaning: Completely drained of energy or strength.
In a Sentence:
After the marathon, she was utterly exhausted.
He felt exhausted after working overtime all week.
Other Ways to Say: Worn out, Spent, Drained
2. Drained
Meaning: Having no energy left, physically or emotionally depleted.
In a Sentence:
The long meeting left her completely drained.
He was drained after dealing with the stressful situation.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Wiped out, Sapped
3. Worn Out
Meaning: Extremely tired or fatigued, often from overwork.
In a Sentence:
She was worn out after cleaning the house all day.
His shoes and body were both worn out from the hike.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Beat, Tired out
4. Dead Tired
Meaning: So tired that one feels nearly lifeless.
In a Sentence:
After the double shift, he was dead tired.
She felt dead tired after studying all night.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Knackered, Wiped out
5. Knackered
Meaning: Extremely tired or worn out (informal, British slang).
In a Sentence:
He was absolutely knackered after the long drive.
She’s knackered from juggling work and school.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Beat, Pooped
6. Beat
Meaning: Completely exhausted or worn out (informal).
In a Sentence:
I’m beat after that intense workout session.
He was beat from working in the heat all day.
Other Ways to Say: Worn out, Tired out, Drained
7. Burn
Meaning: To feel exhausted from overexertion or stress (short for “burned out”).
In a Sentence:
She’s starting to burn from all the deadlines.
He felt the burn after months of non-stop work.
Other Ways to Say: Burned out, Exhausted, Wiped out
8. I Cannot Keep My Eyes Open
Meaning: So tired that staying awake is difficult.
In a Sentence:
I cannot keep my eyes open after that long flight.
She said, “I cannot keep my eyes open,” and went to bed.
Other Ways to Say: Dead tired, Exhausted, Ready to crash
9. Wiped Out
Meaning: Completely exhausted or depleted of energy.
In a Sentence:
The hike wiped her out completely.
He was wiped out after the all-night study session.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Drained, Spent
10. Pooped
Meaning: Very tired or fatigued (informal).
In a Sentence:
The kids were pooped after playing all day.
I’m pooped from running errands non-stop.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Worn out, Beat
11. Be Dead on Your Feet
Meaning: So tired that one can barely stand or function.
In a Sentence:
After the 12-hour shift, she was dead on her feet.
He’s dead on his feet after the long workday.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Worn out, Ready to drop
12. Dog Tired
Meaning: Extremely exhausted, often to the point of collapse.
In a Sentence:
I’m dog tired after moving furniture all day.
She was dog tired after the intense training session.
Other Ways to Say: Dead tired, Knackered, Wiped out
13. Weary
Meaning: Physically or mentally exhausted, often with a sense of reluctance.
In a Sentence:
She felt weary after weeks of constant travel.
He was weary from the endless meetings.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Tired out, Fatigued
14. Bushed
Meaning: Extremely tired or worn out (informal).
In a Sentence:
I’m totally bushed after that long hike.
He was bushed from working overtime all week.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Beat, Wiped out
15. Ready to Drop
Meaning: So tired that one feels like collapsing.
In a Sentence:
She was ready to drop after the all-day event.
He’s ready to drop from working two jobs.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Dead tired, Worn out
16. Feeling Like a Spent Force
Meaning: Completely drained of energy, with nothing left to give.
In a Sentence:
After the project, she felt like a spent force.
He’s feeling like a spent force after the marathon.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Drained, Wiped out
17. Hitting the Wall
Meaning: Reaching a point of sudden exhaustion where one can’t continue.
In a Sentence:
She hit the wall during the race, completely exhausted.
He hit the wall after hours of intense focus.
Other Ways to Say: Run out of steam, Crash, Burn out
18. I Am on My Last Leg
Meaning: Extremely tired, with barely any energy left to continue.
In a Sentence:
I’m on my last leg after this long day.
She said, “I’m on my last leg,” and collapsed into bed.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Running on fumes, Worn out
19. Out of Steam
Meaning: Having no energy left to continue a task or activity.
In a Sentence:
He ran out of steam halfway through the project.
She’s out of steam after studying all night.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Drained, Wiped out
20. Running on Fumes
Meaning: Continuing with very little energy or resources left.
In a Sentence:
I’m running on fumes after three days of no sleep.
He’s running on fumes but still pushing through.
Other Ways to Say: Barely hanging on, Exhausted, On empty
21. Sick and Tired
Meaning: Extremely fatigued and frustrated, often emotionally drained.
In a Sentence:
She’s sick and tired of working long hours.
He’s sick and tired of the constant stress.
Other Ways to Say: Fed up, Exhausted, Done in
22. Spent
Meaning: Completely used up or exhausted of energy.
In a Sentence:
After the event, she was totally spent.
He felt spent after the intense workout.
Other Ways to Say: Drained, Wiped out, Exhausted
23. Tired Out
Meaning: Completely fatigued from exertion or effort.
In a Sentence:
The kids were tired out after the long playdate.
He’s tired out from working on the farm all day.
Other Ways to Say: Worn out, Exhausted, Beat
24. Beat Tired
Meaning: Extremely exhausted, often with a sense of being overwhelmed.
In a Sentence:
She was beat tired after juggling work and family.
He’s beat tired from the endless meetings.
Other Ways to Say: Dead tired, Worn out, Knackered
25. Bone Tired
Meaning: Exhausted to the core, feeling tired in every part of the body.
In a Sentence:
After the hike, she was bone tired and needed rest.
He felt bone tired after the long shift.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Worn out, Dead tired
26. Run Ragged
Meaning: Exhausted from being overworked or overstretched.
In a Sentence:
She was run ragged by her demanding schedule.
He’s been run ragged by the busy season.
Other Ways to Say: Worn out, Exhausted, Overworked
27. Fagged Out
Meaning: Completely exhausted or worn out (informal).
In a Sentence:
I’m fagged out after painting the house all day.
She was fagged out from the intense workout.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Wiped out, Beat
28. Zonked
Meaning: Extremely tired or out of energy (informal).
In a Sentence:
He was zonked after the all-night party.
She’s zonked from studying for finals.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Pooped, Wiped out
29. Burned Out
Meaning: Physically or emotionally exhausted from prolonged stress or overwork.
In a Sentence:
She’s burned out from months of overtime.
He felt burned out after the intense project.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Drained, Worn out
30. Done In
Meaning: Completely exhausted or worn out.
In a Sentence:
The long day done her in; she needed a nap.
He was done in after the marathon meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Wiped out, Exhausted, Spent
31. Flat Out Exhausted
Meaning: Totally drained of energy, with nothing left.
In a Sentence:
She was flat out exhausted after the event.
He’s flat out exhausted from working two jobs.
Other Ways to Say: Completely tired, Wiped out, Drained
32. Tuckered Out
Meaning: Extremely tired, especially from physical effort (informal).
In a Sentence:
The kids were tuckered out after the park.
I’m tuckered out from gardening all morning.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Worn out, Pooped
33. Worn to a Frazzle
Meaning: Extremely tired or stressed to the point of breakdown.
In a Sentence:
She was worn to a frazzle by the tight deadlines.
He’s worn to a frazzle after the busy week.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Frazzled, Drained
34. Dead Beat
Meaning: Completely exhausted or worn out (informal).
In a Sentence:
I’m dead beat after that long hike.
She was dead beat from the all-day conference.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Wiped out, Knackered
35. Out of Gas
Meaning: Having no energy left to continue.
In a Sentence:
He was out of gas after the intense workout.
She’s out of gas, needing a break from work.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Running on empty, Drained
36. Hit the Sack
Meaning: To go to bed due to extreme tiredness.
In a Sentence:
I’m so tired, I need to hit the sack.
She hit the sack after a long, exhausting day.
Other Ways to Say: Go to bed, Crash, Pass out
37. Drop Like a Stone
Meaning: To collapse or fall asleep due to extreme fatigue.
In a Sentence:
After the race, she dropped like a stone onto the couch.
He dropped like a stone, exhausted from work.
Other Ways to Say: Collapse, Crash, Pass out
38. Run Out of Juice
Meaning: To lose energy or motivation, becoming tired.
In a Sentence:
She ran out of juice halfway through the project.
He’s run out of juice after hours of studying.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Drained, Out of steam
39. Wiped
Meaning: Completely exhausted or drained of energy (informal).
In a Sentence:
I’m totally wiped after that long shift.
She was wiped from the intense rehearsal.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Worn out, Spent
40. All In
Meaning: Completely exhausted from giving maximum effort.
In a Sentence:
He was all in after the soccer match.
She’s all in, tired from organizing the event.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Spent, Worn out
41. Beat to the Punch
Meaning: To be so tired that one feels defeated or overwhelmed (variant usage).
In a Sentence:
The long day beat her to the punch, leaving her exhausted.
He was beat to the punch by the intense schedule.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Overwhelmed, Worn out
42. Dragging Your Feet
Meaning: Moving slowly due to tiredness or lack of energy.
In a Sentence:
She was dragging her feet, too tired to move fast.
He’s dragging his feet after the long workday.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Sluggish, Worn out
43. On Your Last Gasp
Meaning: Extremely tired, with barely any energy left.
In a Sentence:
I’m on my last gasp after this exhausting week.
She was on her last gasp, ready to collapse.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Running on fumes, Near collapse
44. Frazzled
Meaning: Mentally or emotionally exhausted, often from stress.
In a Sentence:
She’s frazzled from juggling work and family.
He felt frazzled after the chaotic meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Worn out, Stressed out, Exhausted
45. Sapped
Meaning: Drained of energy or vitality, often suddenly.
In a Sentence:
The heat sapped her energy, leaving her tired.
He was sapped after hours of manual labor.
Other Ways to Say: Drained, Exhausted, Wiped out
46. Done For
Meaning: Completely exhausted or unable to continue.
In a Sentence:
After the race, she was done for and needed rest.
He’s done for after the long project.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Wiped out, Spent
47. Burn the Candle at Both Ends
Meaning: To exhaust oneself by overworking or overextending.
In a Sentence:
She’s burning the candle at both ends and is now tired.
He burned the candle at both ends, feeling exhausted.
Other Ways to Say: Overwork, Exhaust yourself, Push too hard
48. Run Down
Meaning: Tired or weakened from overwork or stress.
In a Sentence:
She’s run down from weeks of non-stop work.
He felt run down after the intense schedule.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Worn out, Drained
49. Dead to the World
Meaning: So tired or exhausted that one is deeply asleep or unaware.
In a Sentence:
After the trip, she was dead to the world, sleeping deeply.
He’s dead to the world, exhausted from work.
Other Ways to Say: Out cold, Exhausted, Passed out
50. Wasted
Meaning: Completely exhausted or worn out (informal).
In a Sentence:
I’m wasted after that long day of errands.
She was wasted from the intense workout session.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Wiped out, Drained
Conclusion
Feeling exhausted is universal, but expressing it doesn’t have to be plain or repetitive. With idioms for tired, you can share your fatigue in ways that are vivid, relatable, and even humorous. Start using these expressions in your conversations, and let your words capture exactly how drained—or lively—you truly feel.
Danny Weber is a language enthusiast and freelance writer with a passion for unpacking the beauty of idioms and metaphors. Through years of research and creative exploration, Danny helps readers understand the deeper meanings behind familiar phrases—making figurative language feel accessible, engaging, and alive. Whether he’s decoding classic sayings or crafting new twists on old expressions, Danny’s work invites you to see language with fresh eyes.
