# run on empty

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/run-on-empty
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To be losing enthusiasm or willingness; to lack motivation.

## Examples

- I am tired and running on empty today.
- She feels like she is running on empty after the long meeting.
- The team is running on empty during the final minutes of the game.
- After working three jobs all month, he is clearly running on empty and needs a long vacation.
- The volunteers have been helping for twelve hours straight and are now running on empty as the event ends.
- I have been studying for this exam all night, but my brain is finally running on empty.
- You cannot keep helping everyone else when you are running on empty yourself and need a break.
- Despite his dedication to the project, the exhausted researcher was running on empty and could no longer find the motivation to continue his work.

## Origin

The phrase alludes to the operation of a motor vehicle when its fuel gauge indicates that the tank is depleted or nearly so. It describes the state of a machine continuing to function in the brief interval before the remaining fumes are exhausted and motion ceases entirely.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.