Udtømte

Ud-tømte is a Danish verb form meaning to drain or exhaust something, i.e., to use up completely. It is the simple past tense of the verb udtømme, formed from the prefix ud- meaning out or away and the verb tømme meaning to empty. In everyday usage, udtømte describes the act of depleting resources, supplies, power, or money, typically referring to a completed action in the past. For example, discussions about a country draining its oil reserves or a company exhausting cash reserves often use this construction.

The corresponding past participle of udtømme is udtømt, which is used in perfect tenses (has drained, have drained) and can function as an adjective meaning depleted or exhausted. Danish grammar distinguishes tense forms and agreement, so udtømte appears as the finite past tense form, while udtømt is used with auxiliary verbs or as a descriptive attribute.

Etymology and related forms: udtømme is formed by the prefix ud- plus tømme (to empty). The word belongs to the Germanic language family, and its core idea—draining something until nothing remains—has close cognates in other Scandinavian languages, reflecting shared concepts of depletion.

In context, udtømte is commonly found in discussions of environmental policy, natural resources, budgeting, and logistics, where depletion or exhaustion is a central concern. It conveys a sense of complete use rather than partial reduction, highlighting the consequences of overuse or extraction.

See also: depletion, exhaustion, resource depletion, budget depletion.