BURN OUT Synonyms: 99 Similar and Opposite Words

burnout 1 of 2

noun

ˈbərn-ˌau̇t

Definition of burnout

as in exhaustion

a complete depletion of energy or strength people in that job often suffer burnout and have to retire at a relatively early age

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

burn out

2 of 2

verb

as in to wear

to use up all the physical energy of working 12-hour days at that job just burned me out

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of burnout

Noun

Nonprofit leaders are reporting alarming burnout rates and more and more organizations are facing financial challenges that have spurred layoffs and, in some cases, closures. — Phil Buchanan, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026 Under this lunation, a truth about burnout or a habit affecting your life rises to the surface. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026

Verb

But if you’re burned out and feeling the strain of juggling work with personal commitments, a sabbatical could be worth considering. — Maurie Backman, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2026 The candles are all different lengths, gradually burning out, and there’s no way of knowing how long each one is. — Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for burnout

Recent Examples of Synonyms for burnout

Noun

It is better understood as a symptom of political exhaustion and vulnerability following years of division, economic hardship, and war.

— Michael Robbins, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2026
The Touring’s heated and ventilated leather seats and lumbar support helped keep exhaustion at bay.

— Robert Duffer, AJC.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of exhaustion

Verb

On the politics, his statement summons a legacy-killing disaster by wagering that nothing will go wrong, when something likely will go wrong during his presidency.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD, was founded in 1980 by a mother whose 13-year-old daughter was killed by an intoxicated driver.

— Kent Sepkowitz, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of kill

Verb

Unsurprisingly, Chinese researchers have predicted that the main urban pension fund covering some 500 million urban workers, retirees, and cadres will be exhausted by the mid-2030s.

— Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026
In June, the NCAA ruled the class of 2022 had exhausted their eligibility.

— PJ Green October 2, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of exhaust

Verb

The point is not to tire yourself out, just to feel your body getting warm.

— Dana Santas, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
While the concept has always had Fox shocks, it was first seen with Maxxis rubber, and subsequently with Schwalbe Tacky Chan downhill tires on DT Swiss wheels last year.

— Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of tire

Verb

Shawn and his father found the man on the easternmost coast of their island shortly after dusk, when the sky was drained of almost all its orange light and the waves had grown dark, topped with an eerie froth.

— Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
The road Game 3 win reigns supreme in Liberty lore after Sabrina Ionescu drained a 28-foot game-winning dagger.

— Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of drain

Verb

Six years later, the Maine electorate is worn out by Trump, but polls still show the race as a tossup.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Standard asphalt shingles across whole neighborhoods built in the same era wear out at roughly the same pace, and a wave of replacement decisions is now landing on owners who haven’t given their roof a second thought since closing day.

— Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of wear out

Browse Nearby Words

burnooses

burnout

burn out

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Style

“Burnout.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burnout. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of burnout

noun

verb

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