What it means
Means you're absolutely exhausted, properly done in, the kind of tired where even taking your shoes off feels like a full shift. It's a very British and Irish everyday word for being way past just tired. You'd use it after work, after a long night, after travel, or after anything that's rinsed your last bit of energy.
Usage examples
"Did a double at the café, then squeezed onto the Night Tube. Got home, kicked my shoes off, and I’m knackered, mate."
"After the double shift I was absolutely knackered, asleep before my head hit the pillow."
"Been up since five, train was rammed, boss was on one all day. I'm absolutely knackered."
"We did the pub, the kebab shop, then walked home in the rain. I was knackered by the time I got in."
"I only popped out for one pint and somehow ended up on the last bus home. I'm absolutely knackered today."
Where it comes from
It comes from knacker, tied to the old trade of dealing with worn-out horses for slaughter. By the late 1800s, knackered had already slid into slang for something broken or used up, and then for people who were absolutely exhausted and out of juice.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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