κουρασμένος
Lemma: κουρασμένος
Translation: tired; exhausted; weary; fatigued (adjective)
Etymology: Derived from the verb κουράζω (to tire, to exhaust) plus the passive participle ending -μένος. The root κουρ- is related to ancient Greek κόρος meaning 'satiety' or 'surfeit', suggesting the idea of being 'filled up' with effort or activity to the point of exhaustion. This connects to the English word 'core' in the sense of being affected to one's core. The -μένος ending is cognate with English past participles ending in '-ed', making this literally 'tired-ed' or 'having been tired'.
Mnemonics
- Think 'core-tired' - tired to your core
- Remember 'courage' - when you're tired, you need courage to continue
- The 'κουρ-' sounds like 'core' - you're tired to your core
Synonyms
Antonyms
Example Wordforms
Cultural Context
Very commonly used in everyday Greek conversation. Greeks often express being tired after work, travel, or social activities. The word can be used both for physical and mental exhaustion, and is socially acceptable to express in most contexts.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: κουρασμένος means 'tired' (describing someone who feels tired), while κουραστικός means 'tiring' or 'tiresome' (describing something that causes tiredness)
This word:
Ο Γιάννης είναι κουρασμένος.
John is tired.
Confused word:
Αυτή η δουλειά είναι κουραστική.
This job is tiring.
Notes: This is a classic active vs passive distinction - one describes the person experiencing tiredness, the other describes what causes tiredness
Mnemonic: κουρασμένος = tired person (ends in -μένος like a person's state), κουραστικός = tiring thing (ends in -ικός like a characteristic)