くたくた

くたくた
adverb
exhausted; worn out; limp
descriptive
1. exhausted; worn out
Describes being extremely tired or fatigued, completely drained of energy.
仕事(しごと)でくたくたに疲(つか)れた。
I'm completely exhausted from work.
マラソンの後(あと)、体(からだ)がくたくただ。
My body is worn out after the marathon.
一日中(いちにちじゅう)歩(ある)いて、くたくたになって家(いえ)に帰(かえ)った。
I walked all day and came home completely exhausted.
2. limp; soft and wilted
Describes something that has become soft and limp, like overcooked vegetables.
野菜(やさい)をくたくたに煮(に)る。
To cook vegetables until soft and limp.
大根(だいこん)をくたくたになるまで煮込(にこ)んだ。
I simmered the daikon until it was completely soft.
ほうれん草(そう)をくたくたに茹(ゆ)でてしまったので、食感(しょっかん)がなくなった。
I boiled the spinach until it went limp, so it lost its texture.

くたくた is a 擬態語(ぎたいご) (mimetic word) with two related meanings: exhaustion and limpness/softness from overcooking.

MEANING 1 — EXHAUSTION:

MEANING 2 — OVERCOOKED/LIMP:

SIMILAR WORDS (exhaustion):

  • へとへと: exhausted (emphasizes physical fatigue)
  • ぐったり: limp, drained (more complete collapse)
  • ぐだぐだ: sluggish, sloppy (less about tiredness, more about being unmotivated)
  • くたびれる: to be tired, worn out (verb form, slightly literary)

Related Words

Synonym: へとへと (exhausted (physical))
Synonym: ぐったり (limp, drained)
Compare: ぐだぐだ (sluggish, sloppy)
Compare: しんなり (wilted, softened, limp)
general
Added 2026.1.16 12:17 · Revised 2026.9.4 21:29
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