Traditional
Still common
Definition
Exhausted, broken, or done for.
Example Sentence
"I'm rooted - been working all week."
Where "Rooted" Comes From
Built on the Australian vulgar sense of "root," this word took on an entirely separate life describing exhaustion or being completely finished — no longer heard as crude in most everyday contexts.
Context does all the work here, and "rooted" as a description of tiredness is about as ordinary and unremarkable as "buggered" or "knackered."
How Aussies Actually Use It
Used casually after a long stretch of work, a hard day, or a busy week — "I'm rooted" is a plain, everyday way to say you've got nothing left in the tank.
It works just as well for a piece of equipment that's finally given up, no different from saying something's cactus.
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