ENGLISH
REFERENCE

exhausting

adj. · v.
US //ɪɡˈzɔstɪŋ// UK //ɛɡzˈɔːstɪŋ// ex·haust·ing
  1. 1 very tiring (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    making you feel extremely tired, either physically or mentally.

    causing extreme physical or mental fatigue; a gradable adjective often used to describe tasks or experiences.

    Example

    The long hike up the mountain was exhausting, but the view was worth it.

    Example

    After an exhausting twelve-hour shift at the hospital, the surgeon had barely enough energy to drive home safely.

    Usage

    Commonly modifies nouns like 'work', 'day', 'trip', or 'process'.
    Pitfall
    I am very exhausting after the long walk.
    I am very exhausted after the long walk.

    Use 'exhausting' to describe the thing that makes you tired (the walk), and 'exhausted' to describe how you feel.

  2. 2 using something up (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the act of using all of a supply of something until nothing is left.

    the present participle of 'exhaust', referring to the total depletion of a resource, supply, or possibility.

    Example

    Exhausting our water supply so early in the trip was a serious mistake.

    Example

    The legal team spent months exhausting every possible avenue of appeal before finally admitting defeat in the high court.

    Usage

    Often used in the continuous tense or as a gerund acting as a noun.

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