You do not need to know many expressions if you want to speak basic English, but if you want to speak advanced or fluent English, then it is good to know more than one way to say something.
Knowing different expressions helps us make our language more interesting and it also helps us understand what other people are saying. Native English speakers or advanced English speakers might use a lot of different phrases and expressions. If we do not know many expressions, then it will be hard to communicate with that person.
Let’s take a look at some different ways to express tiredness and fatigue in English. In other words, here are some different ways to say, “I am tired” in English.
1. I’m tired.
This is the most basic way to express fatigue or tiredness.
We can also add adverbs to add more detail.
- I’m very tired.
- I’m kind of tired.
- He is pretty tired.
- I am unbelievably tired.
- She is mentally tired.
- We are physically tired.
We can replace the “be verb” with the verb “feel”. We can do this for every expression in this lesson.
- I feel tired.
- I felt tired yesterday.
- We will feel very tired tomorrow.
2. I’m exhausted.
The word “exhausted” means very tired.
- I am exhausted.
- She felt exhausted after the game.
3. I’m beat.
This is a common expression to say that we are tired. We only use this in casual situations.
4. I am drained.
After you turn on the sink, where does the water go? It goes into the sink and down the drain. We use this expression to say that all our energy has left our body.
- We have been working so much. I am drained.
- I feel drained after working all weekend.
5. I am pooped.
This is a very casual and silly way expression. This is only used among friends, and it is usually used in a joking way.
6. I’m wiped out.
This is just another basic way to say that we are tired. We can use this expression in any situation. It is very similar to “I’m drained”.
7. I’m worn out.
This is a great expression to know. It is used a lot by native speakers.
However, this expression is used to say that we are tired because we have worked hard or used a lot of energy for a longer period of time.
- I have worked every day for the last 3 months. I’m worn out.
- We have been so busy this week. I am worn out.
We also use the phrase “worn out” with clothes or things that we have used for a long long time and now their condition is not good.
- I have been wearing these shoes for 2 years. They are worn out.
8. I’m fried.
This is slang for I’m tired. It means that I am so tired, that my brain is fried. So, we are so tired that we cannot think well.
9. I’m spent.
This means that we have spent all of our energy. Therefore, we feel tired.
10. I’m dead tired.
This fun expression is used to emphasize that we are very tired.
11. I am weary.
“Weary” is a more formal word that means tired. We are more likely to see this in books and writing.
12. I’m sleepy.
We can replace the word “tired” with “sleepy”. This is more specific about how we are tired. This shows that we want or need to sleep.
13. I’m burnt out.
This expression is only used to show that we are tired because of doing something over a long period of time. All of our energy has been used up. This expression has the feeling that we have lost our passion or desire to do something.
- I have worked overtime every day for the past month. I am burnt out.
- I think I need a vacation. I feel burnt out.
Remember that we cannot use this with short-term things.
- I ran for an hour today.
I am burnt out. - I ran for an hour today. I am exhausted.
Use this lesson to expand your English vocabulary and help you take your English skills to the next level. There are certain situations when the language that you learned in this English lesson can be very useful. Try to use one of these phrases or expressions the next time you speak English. The more English expressions and idioms that you know, the easier it will be for you when you have a conversation in English.
