used-up
used-up — adjective
1. No longer available because the whole amount has been consumed or spent.
No longer available because the whole amount has been consumed or spent.
All the flour was used up after the bakery closed for the holidays.
Harper checked the fuel gauge and saw the gas was nearly used up.
collocation: fuel / gas / resources are used up
Kabir told the team the grant money was used up and work had to stop.
The student filled five notebooks by midyear, and all of them were used up.
Lakan tried to print the report, but the toner cartridge was completely used up.
- exhausted
more formal and can describe both resources and people; 'used-up' is mostly for resources
- depleted
more formal; common in scientific or business contexts (depleted uranium, depleted funds)
- consumed
neutral and factual, often used for food, fuel, or time
- gone
very informal; used in everyday speech ('the milk is all gone')
用法筆記
Predicative only — this adjective normally appears after a linking verb (be, feel, get, seem, look), not before a noun. ❌ 'a used-up battery' sounds unnatural; ✅ 'the battery is used up.'
常見錯誤
2. Having no strength or energy left, because of hard work, worry, or prolonged eff
Having no strength or energy left, because of hard work, worry, or prolonged effort.
After climbing the steep hill, Adina felt used up and needed to rest.
pattern: feel + used up
The rescue workers looked used up after searching through the night.
Camila was used up from the long flight and fell asleep in the taxi.
Shirin's voice was used up after cheering at the football match all afternoon.
用法筆記
Used only for people (or parts of them, like a voice or legs). Does not describe machines or objects. Distinguish from sense 1 (COMPLETELY CONSUMED) which applies only to materials and supplies.