ENGLISH
REFERENCE

exhausting

v.
B1 Intermediate US //ɪɡˈzɔstɪŋ// UK //ɛɡzˈɔːstɪŋ// ex·haust·ing

v. making you feel extremely tired. You use this to describe something that takes away all your energy.

v. causing extreme physical or mental fatigue. Often modified by degree adverbs such as 'absolutely' or 'utterly'.


SIMPLE

The long hike up the mountain was exhausting.

CONTEXTUAL

After an exhausting ten-hour shift at the hospital, she just wanted to sleep.

COMPLEX

The exhausting process of negotiating a peace treaty required months of intense meetings and sleepless nights for everyone involved.

Synonyms
Usage

Typically functions as a descriptive adjective following a linking verb or preceding a noun.

Pitfall

I am very exhaustingI am very exhaustedLearners often confuse the -ing adjective (the cause) with the -ed adjective (the feeling).

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