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extremely tired or stressed, often from too much work or pressure
The frazzled nurse barely had time to eat lunch.
The nurse was so busy and exhausted that she couldn’t take a proper break.
He looked frazzled after the long meeting.
His appearance suggested he was mentally drained from the intense discussion.
Commonly used to describe mental or emotional exhaustion rather than physical fatigue.
Reserve 'frazzled' for situations where someone is visibly overwhelmed or exhausted by stress, not just mildly tired.
Use 'frazzled' for emotional/mental exhaustion, not physical tiredness. For example, 'frazzled from studying' (mental) vs. 'tired from running' (physical).
Late 19th century: from fray + -ed, originally meaning 'worn to threads' (like frayed fabric), later metaphorically extended to mental/emotional exhaustion.
Frazzled implies a state of being mentally or emotionally drained, often from prolonged stress or overwork. It is more intense than 'tired' but less severe than 'burnt out.'