Ausgeschöpft

Ausgeschöpft is a German adjective that translates to exhausted, depleted, or used up in English. It describes a state of being completely drained of energy, resources, or potential. The word can be applied to a person, a situation, or a substance.

When referring to a person, ausgeschöpft implies a profound lack of physical or mental strength. This could be due to strenuous activity, prolonged stress, or illness. For example, after running a marathon, an athlete might feel ausgeschöpft. Similarly, someone who has been working intensely on a difficult project without adequate rest could describe themselves as ausgeschöpft.

In the context of resources, ausgeschöpft signifies that something has been fully utilized or consumed. This could apply to natural resources like oil reserves or financial resources like a budget. If a mine is ausgeschöpft, it means all the valuable minerals have been extracted. A bank account that is ausgeschöpft is empty.

The term can also describe a situation or idea that has been fully explored or developed, leaving no room for further progress. For instance, a political strategy that has been attempted multiple times without success might be considered ausgeschöpft. This suggests that the approach has reached its limits and is no longer effective. The core meaning of ausgeschöpft revolves around a state of having nothing left to give or draw from.