It's coming up on 8pm here and I'm sunkissed but absolutely knackered. I don't think I can make the Arsenal game
It’s a double trap. If they hire him and it goes tits up, they’re knackered again. If they don’t and the new guy goes tits up, it’s the same. DOUBLE ADMIRAL ACKBAR
British: completely exhausted. Can also describe something broken beyond repair. "Knackered from the commute," "car is knackered," "back is knackered." Multipurpose but always negative.
"I'm knackered — seven hours on my feet."
'Knackered' is British and Irish English for 'exhausted'. 'I'm knackered' just means 'I'm shattered, I'm worn out'. It comes from the older noun 'knacker' (someone who slaughtered worn-out horses), so the metaphor is 'worn out like an old horse'. If your teen uses it, they are using everyday British English. The word is mild and acceptable in most British conversations, though older speakers may find it slightly coarse.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "knackered".
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with K.
Looking at it again, the second time looks deliberate, but with an odd lateral movement attached to it. The first time it's like he thinks to catch his flapping tie, then changes his mind halfway through. He looks kna…
“It's coming up on 8pm here and I'm sunkissed but absolutely knackered. I don't think I can make the Arsenal game”
“It’s a double trap. If they hire him and it goes tits up, they’re knackered again. If they don’t and the new guy goes tits up, it’s the same. DOUBLE ADMIRAL ACKBAR”
“Looking at it again, the second time looks deliberate, but with an odd lateral movement attached to it. The first time it's like he thinks to catch his flapping tie, then changes his mind halfway through. He looks knackered though.”
“Feeling knackered this evening and fancied an early night, but then I remembered the PSG Bayern game was on, so gutted. Now seen it’s the snooze fest and PSG Bayern is tomorrow 😃 What a result. Early night it is.”
“He would wish his audiences "All the very best" along with, "I'm knackered now, aren't you?”
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Broken, inoperative.
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