# exhausting

/ɪɡˈzɔstɪŋ/ (US) · /ɛɡzˈɔːstɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/exhausting
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. very tiring

adjective · CEFR B1

making you feel extremely tired, either physically or mentally.

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

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

### 2. using something up

verb · CEFR B2

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

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

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

## Examples

- The long hike up the mountain was exhausting.
- After an exhausting ten-hour shift at the hospital, she just wanted to sleep.
- The exhausting process of negotiating a peace treaty required months of intense meetings and sleepless nights for everyone involved.

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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.