What does "exhaust" mean?
A system consisting of the parts of an engine through which burned gases or steam are discharged; see also exhaust system.
Exhaust
/ɪɡˈzɔst/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A system consisting of the parts of an engine through which burned gases or steam are discharged; see also exhaust system.
- Grammar: exhaust is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: consume, exhaust system, tucker, abate.
- Useful contrasts: energizing effect, energy bearing, exhilarating.
- Usage evidence: Inhaling diesel exhaust is bad for our health.
How to use "exhaust"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "exhaust" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "exhaust" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "exhaust" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "exhaust" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "exhaust" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "consume" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "exhaust", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A system consisting of the parts of an engine through which burned gases or steam are discharged; see also exhaust system.
- 2 system consisting of the parts of an engine through which burned gases or steam are discharged wordnet
- 3 The steam let out of a cylinder after it has done its work there.
"A lovely crisp exhaust: a feeling of almost unlimited power combined with complete freedom of running: and, to crown it all, a most melodious and wholly American chime whistle—these were my immediate impressions as we stormed rapidly out of Göttingen, intent on winning back some of the lost time."
- 4 gases ejected from an engine as waste products wordnet
- 5 The dirty air let out of a room through a register or pipe provided for the purpose.
"If successful, Edison and Ford—in 1914—would move society away from the[…]hazards of gasoline cars: air and water pollution, noise and noxiousness, constant coughing and the undeniable rise in cancers caused by smoke exhaust particulates."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 An exhaust pipe, especially on a motor vehicle.
- 7 Exhaust gas.
Verb
- 1 To draw or let out wholly; to drain completely. transitive
"The water was exhausted out of the well."
- 2 wear out completely wordnet
- 3 To empty by drawing or letting out the contents. transitive
"to exhaust a well"
- 4 eliminate (a substance) wordnet
- 5 To use up; to deplete, drain or expend wholly, or use until the supply comes to an end. figuratively, literally, transitive
"My grandfather seemingly never exhausts his supply of bad jokes."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 use up the whole supply of wordnet
- 7 To tire out; to wear out; to cause to be without any energy. transitive
"The marathon exhausted me."
- 8 use up (resources or materials) wordnet
- 9 To discuss thoroughly or completely. transitive
"That subject has already been exhausted."
- 10 deplete wordnet
- 11 To subject to the action of various solvents in order to remove all soluble substances or extractives. transitive
"to exhaust a drug successively with water, alcohol, and ether"
- 12 To expel (as exhaust). transitive
"Infections can be reduced further if outside air is exhausted after a single use, rather than re-circulated."
- 13 To discharge or escape (as exhaust). intransitive
"Steam from both high pressure cylinders exhausts through the respective receiver pipes into cylinders."
Adjective
- 1 Exhausted; used up. not-comparable, obsolete
Antonyms
Example
"Inhaling diesel exhaust is bad for our health."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "exhaust"?
Common synonyms include: consume, exhaust system, tucker, abate, ablate, abrades.
How do you use "exhaust" in a sentence?
Inhaling diesel exhaust is bad for our health.
How do you pronounce "exhaust"?
Pronounced /ɪɡˈzɔst/.
Etymology
From Latin exhaustus, past participle of exhaurīre (“to draw out, drink up, empty, exhaust”), from ex (“out”) + haurīre (“to draw (especially water), drain”).