burn out — to become extremely tired, stressed, or exhausted from overwork
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to become extremely tired, stressed, or exhausted from overwork
Pronunciation (IPA): /bɜːrn aʊt/
Example Sentences
- My laptop's battery burned out after I played games for 12 hours straight - just like my brain!
- The CEO experienced severe burnout and decided to take a sabbatical.
- After binge-watching 50 episodes of drama, even my TV seems to have burnout.
burn out
VERB[/bɜːrn aʊt/]
to become extremely tired, stressed, or exhausted from overwork
After months of overtime, the young developer began to burn out at his desk.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Coined in the 1960s by psychologist Herbert Freudenberger, the term metaphorically applies the physical phenomenon of fire burning out and extinguishing to describe psychological and emotional exhaustion in humans, particularly in professional contexts.
Breakdown
burn (to consume with fire) + out (completely, away) = to be completely consumed or exhausted, with the physical combustion metaphor transferred to mental and emotional depletion.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My laptop's battery burned out after I played games for 12 hours straight - just like my brain!”
“The CEO experienced severe burnout and decided to take a sabbatical.”
“After binge-watching 50 episodes of drama, even my TV seems to have burnout.”
“Healthcare workers are particularly vulnerable to burnout during pandemics.”
📚Related Words
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