3 syllables: ex, haust, ing. Stress on haust.
/ɪɡˈzɔstɪŋ/
Say it backExhausting is an adjective describing something that drains one’s energy or causes great fatigue. It can also describe an activity that is physically or mentally tiring. The term emphasizes a high degree of weariness and can convey sympathy or emphasis in describing experiences or tasks.
"The hike dried us out and was truly exhausting by the time we reached the summit."
"Working long shifts can be exhausting, especially when there’s little rest between tasks."
"The debate was exhausting, with everyone arguing vigorously for hours."
Break it into ex- + haust + ing. The primary stress falls on the second syllable: /ɪɡˈzɔːs.tɪŋ/ (US/UK) with the 'haust' resembling 'haudst' inside. Start with a short 'ih' sound, glide into /ɡˈzɔː/ for the second syllable’s nucleus, then finish with /tɪŋ/. In American and British accents, the key is crisp /z/ plus a clear /ɔː/ vowel. Audio reference: ideal comparison via Cambridge/Forvo recordings.”,
Two common errors: (1) Misplacing stress, saying /ˌɛɡˈzɒstɪŋ/ or /ɪɡˈzæstɪŋ/ with wrong vowel in the second syllable. Correct by stressing the second syllable: /ɪɡˈzɔːstɪŋ/. (2) Slurring the 'haust' portion into a weak /hɔːst/ or dropping the /t/; ensure the middle contains /zɔːst/ with a clear /t/ before the final /ɪŋ/. Practice with slow delivery then speed up.”,
In US, the /ɪ/ at the start is short, and the /ɔː/ in 'haust' tends toward a broader vowel quality; non-rhoticity is typical in most American dialects so the final /r/ isn’t present, but /ɪŋ/ is clear. UK speakers maintain /ɔː/ with longer vowel duration; AUS often features a somewhat higher /ɒ/ in 'haust' and can have a more clipped final /ɪŋ/. Across accents, the critical differences are vowel quality in /ɒː/ vs /ɔː/ and the handling of the /t/—some dialects insert a light alveolar release.
Key challenges are the consonant cluster /z/ + /t/ in the middle, where the tongue must switch from the alveolar /z/ frication to a crisp /t/ release without slurring. The /ɔː/ vowel in 'haust' can be long and tense, requiring mid-back tongue elevation. Finally, the final /ɪŋ/ requires a clean nasal–velar coupling. Maintaining clear syllable boundaries while speaking quickly makes it tough for non-native speakers.
Yes. The 'haust' chunk links the /z/ to the long back rounded /ɔː/ vowel, and the 't' release occurs before the final /ɪŋ/. Misplacing or compressing this cluster often leads to 'ex-hafting' or 'exha-using' errors. Emphasizing the /z/ frication and keeping a steady /ɔː/ before the /t/ helps maintain natural rhythm and prevents slurring.
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Exhausting derives from the verb exhaust, from the Latin exhaurire meaning ‘to draw out, drain, use up’ (ex- ‘out’ + haurire ‘to draw, suck up’). The early sense was to empty or drain a container; by the 15th century it extended to draining resources or strength. In English, -ing forms developed to describe processes or states, yielding exhausting as the present participle/adjective form indicating something that causes drainage. The word evolved to describe fatigue-inducing actions or experiences, growing into common usage in both physical and mental fatigue contexts. First known use as a general adjective or participial form appears in the 16th-17th centuries in legal and descriptive prose, with rising colloquial use in the 19th and 20th centuries as work and travel demands increased. Today, exhausting is widely used in everyday English to intensify the fatigue aspect of nouns and activities, from grueling tasks to emotionally draining events.
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Words that rhyme with "exhausting"
-ing sounds
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