knackered

What it means

1. 1.

   Exhausted; completely worn out.

2. 2.

   Of an object: broken beyond repair. The washing machine's knackered.

In use

• I'm absolutely knackered, I've been up since five.

  Note: The most frequent use by far.

• Don't bother with that laptop, it's knackered.

Where it comes from

A knacker bought worn-out horses for slaughter, and the knacker's yard was where they ended up. A knackered horse was one fit only for that trip — the metaphor has outlived the trade by a century.

First attested: late 19th century

Other forms

Similar terms:

shattered, done in