What does bushed mean?
'Bushed' is an informal adjective meaning extremely tired or exhausted — the kind of weariness that follows hard physical labor, a long day of travel, or a sleepless night. Saying you are 'completely bushed' or 'too bushed to move' conveys fatigue with a breezy, colloquial charm that softer words like 'tired' lack. The word's origins lie in the noun 'bush', meaning wild or uncleared land: it arose in North American and Australian frontier contexts, where becoming lost in the bush was both exhausting and disorienting. Today that literal sense has faded, and 'bushed' survives almost entirely as a vivid synonym for exhaustion. Its register is decidedly informal — it belongs in conversation and casual writing rather than formal prose — and its playful sound makes it a favorite among speakers who want their tiredness to sound good-humored rather than grim.
Extremely tired or exhausted.
"We were so bushed after the hike that we skipped dinner and went straight to bed."
Informal; used chiefly in casual speech.
(Rare) Covered or overgrown with bushes; situated in bush country.
"They built the cabin on a bushed slope far from any road."
This literal sense is largely obsolete outside historical or regional use.
The word for 'utterly exhausted' literally comes from the word for shrubland — because being lost in the Australian bush was enough to wear anyone out.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bushed
'Bushed' derives from the noun 'bush', which came into English via Middle English from Old French 'bos'/'busch' (woodland), ultimately from a Germanic root. In nineteenth-century North America and Australia, 'the bush' referred to wild, unsettled backcountry, and 'to get bushed' meant to become lost in it. From this sense developed the figurative meaning of being worn out, which by the late nineteenth century had settled into the modern adjective describing extreme tiredness.
Word family
Usage notes
'Bushed' is informal and colloquial, common in both American and British speech. It carries a casual, slightly humorous tone rather than a clinical one — people say they're bushed about everyday tiredness, not serious illness. The rare literal sense ('covered in bushes') exists but is seldom used today.
Don't confuse with
'Bushed' means exhausted, while 'blushed' means turned red in the face from embarrassment or shame — they differ by only one letter but have unrelated meanings.