wrungout

Wrungout is an informal term used to describe a state of extreme exhaustion or depletion, often extending beyond ordinary tiredness to a sense of complete drain. It can refer to a person, an object, or a mood that has been thoroughly worn down.

Etymology and sense

The word derives from the verb wring, meaning to twist or squeeze hard, and figuratively suggests something has been squeezed of its energy or vitality. In everyday use, wrung-out describes how fatigue feels after intense effort, stress, or long hardship. The form is typically hyphenated as wrung-out when used adjectivally, and the phrase wrung out can appear in non-hyphenated form in verb phrases like “to be wrung out.”

Usage

Wrungout is most commonly applied to people—such as workers, performers, or athletes—who have pushed themselves to the limit. It can also describe depleting circumstances, environments, or devices that no longer function well due to overuse. The tone is neutral to slightly humorous or colloquial, depending on context, and it is usually avoided in formal writing in favor of more precise terms like exhausted, fatigued, drained, or depleted.

Nuance

The term emphasizes thorough depletion rather than mere tiredness. It can convey a sense of burnout, emotional wear, or physical collapse, but it remains a colloquial descriptor rather than a clinical one. While widely understood in English-speaking communities, wrung-out may not be recognized as a standard term in all dictionaries.

See also

Exhausted, drained, fatigued, depleted, burnout, overworked.