What does knackering mean?
Knackering is an informal British adjective meaning annoying, irritating, or tiresome. It is especially common in everyday speech about irritating people, prolonged activities, awkward circumstances, and unpleasant experiences. The word often appears after an intensifier, especially “absolutely,” as in “the wait was absolutely knackering.” Its tone can range from mild exasperation to emphatic annoyance, and it is more emotionally direct than the more neutral words “annoying” or “tedious.” Although naturally associated with modern British English, it is generally understood by English speakers elsewhere. Knackering is chiefly predicative rather than used before a noun, and its informality makes it better suited to conversation, informal writing, and humorous complaint than to formal or technical contexts.
adjectiveAnnoying, irritating, or tiresome; used informally to express strong vexation with a person, situation, or experience.
- Annoying, irritating, or tiresome.
"The endless queue was absolutely knackering."
"The delay was absolutely knackering."
"What a knackering noise that drilling is making."
In British informal English, a minor irritation can quickly be dismissed as “absolutely knackering.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does knackering come from?
The word derives from the present participle of “knacker,” a verb associated with tiring or wearing out a person. “Knacker” is also historically associated with the trade of dealing with horses that are no longer fit for work. The adjectival use of “knackering” developed from senses involving weariness and irritation before becoming established in modern British informal English.
How knackering is actually used
This is chiefly British and informal. It is commonly used predicatively, as in “it is knackering,” and may function as an intensifier meaning “very annoying.” It is unsuitable for formal prose.