We all get tired sometimes. It might be after running in gym class, staying up too late, or working hard on homework. When people feel tired, they might say things like “I’m so sleepy” or “I need a nap.” But in English, there are also fun and creative phrases called idioms that help describe being tired in different ways.
Idioms are phrases that mean something different from the words they use. Instead of just saying “I’m tired,” someone might say “I’m running on empty” or “I’m out of steam.” These phrases help show how tired someone feels, and they can make speaking more interesting. In this article, we’ll learn 60 idioms people use when they feel tired. We’ll also look at what they mean and how to use them in everyday life.
Idioms for Tired
1. Running on empty
Meaning: Very tired, like having no energy left.
Within a Sentence: After the soccer game, I was running on empty. / Mom was running on empty after working all day.
In Other Words: I had no energy left. / She was super tired.
2. Out of steam
Meaning: Too tired to keep going.
Within a Sentence: I was out of steam after cleaning my room. / He felt out of steam after the long hike.
In Other Words: I couldn’t keep going. / He had no energy.
3. Hit the sack
Meaning: Go to bed.
Within a Sentence: I can’t stay up I’m going to hit the sack. / Dad said he had to hit the sack early.
In Other Words: I’m going to sleep. / He went to bed.
4. Burned out
Meaning: Very tired from doing something for too long.
Within a Sentence: She felt burned out after studying for hours. / I got burned out from all the chores.
In Other Words: She was tired of doing work. / I felt exhausted.
5. Dog-tired
Meaning: Extremely tired.
Within a Sentence: After practice, I was dog-tired. / We were dog-tired after the field trip.
In Other Words: Very tired. / Worn out.
6. Worn out
Meaning: Feeling very tired or used up.
Within a Sentence: My shoes and I were both worn out after running. / She looked worn out after the play.
In Other Words: Super tired. / Used up all my energy.
7. Dead on my feet
Meaning: So tired it’s hard to stand.
Within a Sentence: I was dead on my feet after helping move boxes. / He looked dead on his feet after the game.
In Other Words: I could barely stand. / He was very tired.
8. Tuckered out
Meaning: Completely tired, especially after playing.
Within a Sentence: The puppy was tuckered out after running in the yard. / I felt tuckered out after recess.
In Other Words: Very tired. / Out of energy.
9. Ready to drop
Meaning: So tired that you could fall down.
Within a Sentence: After cleaning the garage, I was ready to drop. / She said she was ready to drop after babysitting.
In Other Words: Very tired. / Couldn’t keep going.
10. Beat
Meaning: Slang for very tired.
Within a Sentence: I’m beat after basketball practice. / He looked beat after the test.
In Other Words: Really tired. / Exhausted.
11. Pooped
Meaning: Very tired.
Within a Sentence: I was pooped after the swim meet. / Grandma felt pooped after shopping.
In Other Words: I was worn out. / She needed rest.
12. Out like a light
Meaning: Fell asleep quickly.
Within a Sentence: I was out like a light after dinner. / He was out like a light during the movie.
In Other Words: Fell asleep fast. / Didn’t stay awake.
13. Running ragged
Meaning: Feeling worn out from being too busy.
Within a Sentence: Mom was running ragged all day. / I felt running ragged after practice and homework.
In Other Words: Tired from too much to do.
14. Bone-tired
Meaning: Extremely tired, deep in your body.
Within a Sentence: I felt bone-tired after our trip. / He was bone-tired from yard work.
In Other Words: Very, very tired.
15. Running low
Meaning: Starting to lose energy.
Within a Sentence: I’m running low after all this studying. / She was running low during the game.
In Other Words: Almost out of energy.
16. Wiped out
Meaning: Very tired and can’t do more.
Within a Sentence: I was wiped out after gym class. / Dad looked wiped out after mowing the lawn.
In Other Words: Totally worn out.
17. Spent
Meaning: No energy left.
Within a Sentence: I felt spent after building the model. / He was spent from staying up late.
In Other Words: Completely tired.
18. Like a zombie
Meaning: Moving slowly and tired like a zombie.
Within a Sentence: I felt like a zombie this morning. / She walked like a zombie after staying up too late.
In Other Words: Super tired and slow.
19. Ready to crash
Meaning: Wanting to go to sleep badly.
Within a Sentence: I was ready to crash after dinner. / He said he’d crash on the couch.
In Other Words: Wanted to sleep right away.
20. Knackered
Meaning: (British English) Very tired.
Within a Sentence: I was knackered after the hike. / She felt knackered from walking all day.
In Other Words: Really tired.
21. Eyes barely open
Meaning: So sleepy you can’t keep your eyes open.
Within a Sentence: My eyes were barely open at breakfast. / He had his eyes barely open after the party.
In Other Words: About to fall asleep.
22. Droopy
Meaning: Feeling tired and slow.
Within a Sentence: My arms were droopy after lifting books. / She looked droopy after a long day.
In Other Words: Slow and tired.
23. Out of gas
Meaning: Having no more energy.
Within a Sentence: I was out of gas after basketball. / He felt out of gas before the last class.
In Other Words: No more energy.
24. Like a wet noodle
Meaning: So tired you feel floppy.
Within a Sentence: I felt like a wet noodle after the race. / She was like a wet noodle on the couch.
In Other Words: Floppy and tired.
25. Can’t keep my eyes open
Meaning: So sleepy it’s hard to stay awake.
Within a Sentence: I can’t keep my eyes open during the movie. / He said he couldn’t keep his eyes open.
In Other Words: Very sleepy.
26. Out cold
Meaning: Deep asleep from tiredness.
Within a Sentence: I was out cold after school. / She was out cold on the ride home.
In Other Words: Sleeping deeply.
27. Toast
Meaning: Slang for totally used up.
Within a Sentence: After that test, I was toast. / We were toast after gym.
In Other Words: Very tired.
28. Drained
Meaning: No energy left.
Within a Sentence: I felt drained after soccer. / He looked drained after staying up late.
In Other Words: Empty of energy.
29. Lights out
Meaning: Time to sleep.
Within a Sentence: It’s lights out for me. / Dad said, “Lights out!” after 9 p.m.
In Other Words: Going to bed.
30. Could sleep anywhere
Meaning: So tired you could sleep in any spot.
Within a Sentence: I was so tired I could sleep anywhere. / She almost fell asleep on the floor.
In Other Words: Very sleepy.
31. Ready to flop
Meaning: So tired you just want to lie down.
Within a Sentence: I was ready to flop on the couch. / She flopped onto her bed after school.
In Other Words: Too tired to stand. / Just want to rest.
32. Feeling heavy
Meaning: Body feels slow and weighed down from tiredness.
Within a Sentence: My legs felt heavy after running laps. / She said her arms felt heavy from practice.
In Other Words: Very tired and slow.
33. Nodding off
Meaning: Starting to fall asleep.
Within a Sentence: I kept nodding off in class. / He was nodding off during the movie.
In Other Words: Almost falling asleep.
34. Low battery
Meaning: Energy is almost gone.
Within a Sentence: I feel like I’m on low battery. / She said her brain was on low battery.
In Other Words: Almost out of energy.
35. Felt like melting
Meaning: So tired you feel like falling down.
Within a Sentence: I felt like melting after PE. / He was so tired he just melted into his seat.
In Other Words: Very tired.
36. Like dragging bricks
Meaning: Moving feels really hard.
Within a Sentence: Walking home felt like dragging bricks. / She said getting up was like dragging bricks.
In Other Words: Very slow and tired.
37. Could sleep for a week
Meaning: Very tired and want lots of sleep.
Within a Sentence: I was so tired, I could sleep for a week. / He said he needed a week-long nap.
In Other Words: Very sleepy.
38. Shuffling along
Meaning: Walking slowly from being tired.
Within a Sentence: I was just shuffling along after gym. / She shuffled to class, barely awake.
In Other Words: Walking tiredly.
39. Can’t move a muscle
Meaning: Too tired to even move.
Within a Sentence: I was so tired I couldn’t move a muscle. / He just lay there and didn’t move.
In Other Words: Completely worn out.
40. Sluggish
Meaning: Moving very slow because of tiredness.
Within a Sentence: I felt sluggish all day. / She was sluggish after staying up too late.
In Other Words: Slow and sleepy.
41. Like I’ve been hit by a truck
Meaning: Feeling really sore and tired.
Within a Sentence: I felt like I was hit by a truck after practice. / He said he felt hit by a truck the next morning.
In Other Words: Super tired and sore.
42. Powering down
Meaning: Slowly getting sleepier.
Within a Sentence: I was powering down during dinner. / She said her brain was powering down.
In Other Words: Getting ready to sleep.
43. At my limit
Meaning: Can’t do anymore.
Within a Sentence: I was at my limit after all the homework. / He was at his limit by bedtime.
In Other Words: Totally tired out.
44. Barely hanging on
Meaning: Struggling to stay awake or keep going.
Within a Sentence: I was barely hanging on in the last class. / She was barely hanging on at practice.
In Other Words: Almost done. / Very tired.
45. Down for the count
Meaning: Done for the day and going to sleep.
Within a Sentence: After dinner, I was down for the count. / He was down for the count before the movie ended.
In Other Words: Done. / Sleeping soon.
46. Sleepy as a sloth
Meaning: Feeling super slow and tired.
Within a Sentence: I was sleepy as a sloth all morning. / She moved like a sleepy sloth to the bus.
In Other Words: Very sleepy and slow.
47. On my last leg
Meaning: So tired you can hardly keep going.
Within a Sentence: I was on my last leg after practice. / He said he was on his last leg walking home.
In Other Words: Just about to stop.
48. Dead tired
Meaning: Very, very tired.
Within a Sentence: I was dead tired after the race. / She looked dead tired in class.
In Other Words: Completely exhausted.
49. All tuckered in
Meaning: Tired and ready for bed.
Within a Sentence: I was all tuckered in with my blanket. / He felt all tuckered in after story time.
In Other Words: Ready to sleep.
50. Need to crash
Meaning: Needing sleep right away.
Within a Sentence: I need to crash it’s been a long day. / She said she needed to crash on the couch.
In Other Words: Go to sleep fast.
51. Can’t keep going
Meaning: Too tired to do anything more.
Within a Sentence: I can’t keep going after all this work. / He said he couldn’t keep going.
In Other Words: Out of energy.
52. Eyes feel heavy
Meaning: Sleepy and struggling to keep eyes open.
Within a Sentence: My eyes felt heavy by bedtime. / She said her eyes were heavy at lunch.
In Other Words: Very sleepy.
53. All out
Meaning: No energy left at all.
Within a Sentence: I was all out after dodgeball. / He was all out by the time dinner came.
In Other Words: Used up all energy.
54. Clocking out
Meaning: Ending the day and resting.
Within a Sentence: I’m clocking out now, it’s bedtime. / She said she was clocking out for the day.
In Other Words: Done for the night.
55. Asleep on my feet
Meaning: So tired it feels like you’re sleeping while standing.
Within a Sentence: I was asleep on my feet at the bus stop. / He looked asleep on his feet in class.
In Other Words: Super tired.
56. Spaced out
Meaning: Can’t focus because of tiredness.
Within a Sentence: I spaced out during math. / She was spaced out after lunch.
In Other Words: Brain not working right from being tired.
57. Stuck in slow motion
Meaning: Moving very slowly.
Within a Sentence: I felt stuck in slow motion this morning. / He was in slow motion after the sleepover.
In Other Words: Very slow and tired.
58. Bag of bones
Meaning: Feeling weak and tired.
Within a Sentence: I felt like a bag of bones after that run. / She looked like a bag of bones on the couch.
In Other Words: Weak and worn out.
59. Dozing off
Meaning: Falling asleep slowly.
Within a Sentence: I kept dozing off while reading. / He was dozing off in the car.
In Other Words: Slowly falling asleep.
60. Couldn’t lift a finger
Meaning: Too tired to do even a small thing.
Within a Sentence: I couldn’t lift a finger after the chores. / She said she couldn’t lift a finger.
In Other Words: Super tired. / Done for the day.
True/False Quiz: Idioms for Tired
Read each sentence. Choose True or False.
- Saying “I’m running on empty” means you have a lot of energy.
True / False - “Out like a light” means someone fell asleep quickly.
True / False - If you’re “dog-tired,” you’re feeling excited and playful.
True / False - “Can’t keep my eyes open” means you’re very sleepy.
True / False - “Wiped out” means you finished all your homework.
True / False - “Tuckered out” can describe someone who played a lot and now feels tired.
True / False - “On my last leg” means you feel strong and ready to run.
True / False - “Dead on my feet” means you’re standing tall and awake.
True / False - “Like a zombie” means you’re moving slowly because you’re tired.
True / False - “Spaced out” means you’re sleepy and not paying attention.
True / False - “Could sleep for a week” shows that you’re full of energy.
True / False - “Out of gas” means you have lots of strength.
True / False - “All tuckered in” means you’re wide awake.
True / False - “Dozing off” means you’re slowly falling asleep.
True / False - “Powering down” is something people say when they feel sleepy.
True / False
Answer Key
- False
- True
- False
- True
- False
- True
- False
- False
- True
- True
- False
- False
- False
- True
- True
Scoring Guide
- 15 Correct Answers: Idioms Master!
- 10–14 Correct Answers: You really get Idioms, nice work!
- 6–9 Correct Answers: You’re learning, keep going!
- 0–5 Correct Answers: Let’s learn about Idioms together!
Conclusion
Idioms help us talk about being tired in fun ways. Instead of always saying “I’m sleepy” or “I’m tired,” we can say things like “I’m out of steam” or “I’m beat.” These phrases make our talking more colorful and easy to understand.
Now that you know many idioms for tired, try using them at school or at home. When you feel sleepy or worn out, use one of these sayings to show how you feel. It makes speaking more fun and helps others understand you better.
