燃え尽き

• Reading: もえつき
• Romaji: moetsuki
• Kanji breakdown: 燃え (burning, from 燃える = to burn) + 尽き (exhaustion, from 尽きる = to be used up) → burned out, completely spent
• Pronunciation: /mo.e.tsu.ki/

Meaning

Burned out — emotionally and physically depleted after intense effort or prolonged stress.

燃え尽き is the Japanese counterpart to 'burnout,' literally meaning 'burned to nothing.' It is often used in the compound 燃え尽き症候群 (burnout syndrome), but the standalone 燃え尽きた (burned out, past tense) is extremely common in casual speech. It vividly describes the feeling of having given everything you had until nothing is left — like a candle that has burned down completely. It is frequently heard after exams, big projects, competitions, or any period of intense sustained effort.

Examples

1. プロジェクト終わった途端に燃え尽きて、何もしたくない。 The second the project ended, I burned out and didn't want to do anything.
2. 受験が終わって完全に燃え尽きた。大学入ってからやる気ゼロ。 Once entrance exams were over, I was completely burned out. Zero motivation since starting college.
3. 燃え尽き症候群って聞くけど、まさに今の自分がそれだわ。 I keep hearing about burnout syndrome, and that's literally me right now.

Usage Guide

Context: friends, workplace, social media, daily conversation

Tone: exhausted, resigned

Do Say

• 大会終わって完全に燃え尽きたわ。 (The tournament is over and I'm completely burned out.)
• 燃え尽きる前にちゃんと休んで。 (Rest before you burn out completely.)

Don't Say

• 燃え尽きている人に「もっと頑張れ」は逆効果 (Telling someone who is burned out to 'try harder' makes things worse — they need rest, not more pressure)

Common Mistakes

• Confusing 燃え尽きた with just being tired — it implies having exhausted all motivation and energy after sustained intense effort, not ordinary fatigue

Origin & History

From 燃える (to burn) + 尽きる (to be exhausted/used up). The compound 燃え尽き症候群 (burnout syndrome) was popularized in Japanese medical and workplace contexts from the 1980s onward.

Cultural Context

Era: 1980s as medical term, casual usage from 2000s

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. The image of 'burning out' resonates strongly in Japan's effort-oriented culture where giving 100% is expected.