# fried

/ˈfɹaɪd/ (US) · /fɹˈaɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fried
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. cooked in oil

adjective · CEFR A2

cooked in hot fat or oil.

For teachers: prepared by cooking in fat or oil, typically in a pan or deep-fryer.

- We had fried eggs and toast for breakfast this morning.
- The menu featured a variety of fried appetizers, ranging from traditional calamari to more adventurous tempura-battered vegetables.

### 2. broken by heat

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

broken because of too much heat or electricity.

For teachers: rendered inoperable due to excessive heat or an electrical surge, particularly in reference to electronic components.

- The power surge last night completely fried my laptop's motherboard.
- After the cooling fan failed, the processor became fried, necessitating a complete replacement of the internal hardware.

### 3. exhausted

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal · Slang

feeling very tired or unable to think because you have worked too hard.

For teachers: experiencing extreme mental or physical exhaustion, often resulting in an inability to process information effectively.

- I've been studying for ten hours and my brain is totally fried.
- By the end of the intensive three-day conference, most of the delegates felt completely fried and were eager to return home.

### 4. intoxicated

adjective · CEFR C1 · Slang

being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

For teachers: intoxicated by controlled substances or alcohol; often implies a state of visible cognitive impairment.

- They looked completely fried when they finally left the party at 4 a.m.
- The security guard noticed the group looked fried and refused them entry to the venue for safety reasons.

## Examples

- I am totally fried after that three-hour exam.
- By the end of the double shift, the nurses were completely fried and could barely speak to each other.
- After weeks of relentless coding and minimal sleep, his brain was so fried that he couldn't even solve basic logic puzzles that usually took him seconds.

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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.