agotado
/aɡoˈtado/
The English phrase 'burnt out' is translated into Spanish as agotado.
agotado is an adjective used to describe someone who is overworked to the point of exhaustion.
Meaning: overworked to the point of exhaustion (adj)
Which one should you use?
While cansado is a general term for feeling tired, agotado specifically implies that a person is completely depleted or burnt out.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective agotado must agree in gender and number with the person or group being described. Use agotada if the subject is female, agotados if describing a group of men or a mixed-gender group and agotadas if describing a group consisting entirely of females.
How do you pronounce it?
/aɡoˈtado/
Did you know?
- While agotado describes a person's state, using it to describe a product, like a shirt in a shop, means it is 'sold out'.
- While agotado describes general exhaustion, the term quemado is used specifically when someone feels 'burnt out' by their job, mirroring the English metaphor of being 'burnt'.
- The verb agotar can be used to describe someone who bores others to death with endless talking, not just someone who is physically tired.
Examples in context
- Voy a tomar un descanso ahora. Me siento un poco agotado.I'm going to take a break now. I feel a little burnt out.This sentence shows how to express feeling a little burnt out using agotado.Tatoeba #4600175 by DarkHollow, translation #4600089 by slyfin
- Después de una semana de trabajo intenso, me siento agotado/a.After a week of intense work, I feel burnt out.
- Después de este proyecto, estoy agotado.After this project, I am burnt out.
- El empleado está muy agotado por tanto trabajo.The employee is very burnt out from so much work.
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are talking at a coffee shop after work.
- Sofía¿Cómo va todo en la oficina, Alejandro?How is everything going at the office, Alejandro?
- AlejandroMal, estoy completamente agotado.Bad, I am completely burnt out.
- SofíaLo siento mucho, deberías descansar un poco.I am very sorry, you should rest a bit.
- AlejandroTienes razón, necesito vacaciones.You are right, I need a vacation.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry agotado, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
