Have you been tired lately? Do you find yourself tired every now and then? Then this post is for you because it’s going to teach you informal English vocabulary to express your fatigue like never before. ‘Bushed,’ ‘beat,’ ‘fried,’ and the list goes on. Read on for the new vocabulary, ample examples of usage, and, of course, practical exercises.

Below is a list of informal expressions all meaning ‘I am very tired/exhausted’, each of which is less formal. Not that there’s anything wrong with ‘I’m tired’—that phrase is always popular and never inappropriate when you’ve had enough of work or other frantic activity and need some rest. However, we do hope this post will help boost your vocabulary and add color to your language. So, let’s delve in!

Expression	Example
I’m bushed	After hiking all day, I’m bushed and ready for a long nap.
I’m beat	Working 2 jobs this week has me completely beat; I can barely keep my eyes open.
I’m fried	Studying for finals has left me fried—I need a break!
I’m dog-tired	After the marathon, I was dog-tired and could hardly walk another step.
I’m pooped/pooped out	Cleaning the entire house has left me pooped; I think I deserve a rest now.
I’m wiped out	After that five-mile run I was completely wiped out.
I’m running on empty	After a week of deadlines and late nights, I’m running on empty—I need a vacation.
I’m running on fumes	Trying to meet all these project deadlines has me running on fumes; I don’t know how much longer I can keep going.
I’m spent	After the intense workout, I’m spent—I can barely lift my arms.
I’m zonked/zonked out /zɑːŋkt/	Staying up all night studying for the exam has me completely zonked out.
I’m drained	Dealing with that difficult client all day has left me emotionally drained.
I’m done in	The long road trip has left me done in; I just want to lie down and rest.
I’m ready/fit to drop	After running around after the kids all day, I’m ready to drop.
I’m out of gas	After the long day at work and then the gym, I’m completely out of gas.
I’m worn out	She got absolutely worn out looking after the children.
I’m out of steam	After working on this project all afternoon, I’m out of steam and need a break.
I’m at the end of my rope	Dealing with these constant interruptions at work has me at the end of my rope.
I’m on my last legs	We’d been out walking all day and I was on my last legs when we reached the hotel.
I’m running out of juice	After a busy day of meetings, I’m running out of juice; I don’t have much energy left.
I’m ragged /ˈræɡɪd/	Trying to balance work and family life has left me feeling ragged and worn out.

Practice

Exercise 1. Click the link here and match the pictures with the expressions. The pictures should illustrate the expressions and evoke associations.

Exercise 2. Click the link here and complete the sentences with the right words.

We hope you’re not zonked out by the end of this article. On the contrary, we hope you’re bouncing off the walls. Speaking of which, our next article will be about alternatives to ‘I’m full of energy,’ so stay tuned and don’t forget to subscribe to our blog to ensure you don’t miss future posts!