Adjective | Exhaustion / Physical State
Encyclopedia of British Slang
KNACKERED
Adjective | Mild | Exhaustion / Physical State
KNACKERED Pronunciation: /’nk-?d/ Part of Speech: Adjective Severity Level: Mild Category: Exhaustion / Physical State
Core Definition
Knackered means:
Extremely tired
Physically worn out
Exhausted beyond mild fatigue
It signals depletion.
Linguistic Origins
Derived from knacker, referring historically to someone who disposed of worn-out horses.
The metaphor implies something worked beyond usability.
The figurative sense emerged in the 19th century.
Usage Contexts
After work:
Im knackered.
Sport:
Absolutely knackered.
Properly knackered.
It implies serious fatigue.
Emotional Register
Knackered is emphatic but informal.
Not dramatic.
Final Assessment
Knackered captures deep exhaustion.
Bluntly.
EXPANDED ENTRY 227
Alan Nafzger was born in Lubbock, Texas, the son Swiss immigrants. He grew up on a dairy in Windthorst, north central Texas. He earned degrees from Midwestern State University (B.A. 1985) and Texas State University (M.A. 1987). University College Dublin (Ph.D. 1991). Dr. Nafzger has entertained and educated young people in Texas colleges for 37 years. Nafzger is best known for his dark novels and experimental screenwriting. His best know scripts to date are Lenin’s Body, produced in Russia by A-Media and Sea and Sky produced in The Philippines in the Tagalog language. In 1986, Nafzger wrote the iconic feminist western novel, Gina of Quitaque. Contact: editor@prat.uk
