疲惫

• Pinyin: pí bèi
• Hanzi breakdown: 疲 = 疒 + 皮 (illness radical + skin — body drained of energy); 惫 = 心 + 备 (heart + exhausted — heart completely used up)

Meaning

Exhausted; worn out; deeply drained. Describes a state of profound physical or mental fatigue that goes beyond ordinary tiredness.

Stronger than 疲倦 and 疲劳. Suggests a deep, all-encompassing weariness from sustained exertion, prolonged stress, or emotional strain. 疲惫不堪 is its most extreme form. Common in descriptions of medical workers, rescue teams, or those under chronic pressure.

Examples

1. 连续奋战了三十六小时的医护人员个个神情疲惫，却无一人提前离岗。 After fighting nonstop for thirty-six hours, the medical staff all looked exhausted, yet not a single person left early.
2. 长途跋涉之后，他疲惫地倒在床上，片刻之间便沉沉睡去。 After the long trek, he collapsed onto the bed in exhaustion and fell into a deep sleep within moments.
3. 繁重的工作压力让她日益疲惫，身心俱感透支，亟需一段时间调整休整。 The heavy work pressure has left her increasingly drained, physically and mentally, and she urgently needs time to recover and reset.

Usage Guide

Context: health, work, emotion, travel

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 经历了长达一周的密集谈判，谈判团队全员身心疲惫，但最终签署的协议让所有的辛苦都有了圆满的交代。(After enduring a full week of intensive negotiations, the entire team was physically and mentally exhausted, but the agreement ultimately signed gave all their hard work a satisfying conclusion.)
• 她在日记中写道，长期独自承担家庭重担让她深感疲惫，迫切渴望得到他人的理解与支持。(She wrote in her diary that bearing the family burden alone for so long had left her deeply exhausted, and she desperately longed for understanding and support from others.)

Don't Say

• 我今天有点疲惫，因为没睡够 — for mild tiredness from a bad night use 困 or 没精神; 疲惫 implies deep exhaustion from sustained effort, not merely insufficient sleep

Origin & History

疲 (weary, tired) + 惫 (exhausted, depleted) — a double emphasis on being deeply and thoroughly drained

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal