外耗

• Pinyin: wài hào
• Hanzi breakdown: 外 (external) + 耗 (consume / drain) -> energy drained by outside forces.

Meaning

Energy drained by external people, demands, noise, or social friction.

It contrasts with 内耗, which is internal overthinking. 外耗 points to burnout caused by the outside environment rather than one's own mental loop.

Examples

1. 一天开六个会，真的很外耗。 Six meetings in one day is utterly draining.
2. 通勤太久，我还没上班就外耗了。 My commute is so long that I'm drained before work even starts.
3. 减少无效社交，能少一点外耗。 Cutting down on pointless socialising can reduce some of that drain.

Usage Guide

Context: friends, social media, self-description

Tone: weary, analytical

Do Say

• 被杂事消耗时说今天很外耗。（Say it when external demands drain you.）

Don't Say

• 把所有坏心情都叫外耗。（It specifically points to external depletion.）

Common Mistakes

• Confusing it with 内耗; 内耗 is self-consuming overthinking.

Origin & History

Modeled after 内耗, shifting the source of depletion from inside to outside.

Cultural Context

Era: 2010s-2020s

Generation: Students, Gen Z, and young office workers

Social background: Urban internet users

Regional notes: Used by young workers discussing boundaries and burnout sources.