run out of steam

verb

To run out of energy or motivation.

“Near-synonyms: run on fumes, run on empty”

Similar
run on fumesrun on empty
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Meanings

verbrun out of steam (third-person singular simple present runs out of steam, present participle running out of steam, simple past ran out of steam, past participle run out of steam)

present singular third person runs out of steam · participle present running out of steam · past ran out of steam

  1. idiomaticTo run out of energy or motivation.

    Near-synonyms: run on fumes, run on empty

    2 more examples

    After climbing six flights of stairs she found she had run out of steam and had to sit down.

    After two of the team left, the project rather ran out of steam.

    Synonyms: run on fumes, run on empty

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo run out of energy or motivation.

Similar
run on fumesrun on empty
Also see
run on emptyrun on fumesrun out of road

Translations

Finnish väsähtää
  • väsähtääto run out of energy or motivation
French marquer le pas, être à bout de souffle
  • marquer le pasto run out of energy or motivation
  • être à bout de souffleto run out of energy or motivation
  • s'essoufflerto run out of energy or motivation
  • être en perte de vitesseto run out of energy or motivation
Hungarian kifullad, kifogy a lendületből
  • kifulladto run out of energy or motivation
  • kifogy a lendületbőlto run out of energy or motivation
Italian finire la benzina, perdere energia
  • finire la benzinato run out of energy or motivation
  • perdere energiato run out of energy or motivation
Polish wypalać się, wypalić się
  • wypalać sięto run out of energy or motivation
  • wypalić sięto run out of energy or motivation
Russian вы́дохнуться, выдыха́ться
  • вы́дохнуться (výdoxnutʹsja)to run out of energy or motivation
  • выдыха́ться (vydyxátʹsja)to run out of energy or motivation
Spanish perder fuelle
  • perder fuelleto run out of energy or motivation
Swedish tappa stinget
  • tappa stingetto run out of energy or motivation
Thai หมดแรง
  • หมดแรง (mòt-rɛ̄ɛŋ)to run out of energy or motivation
Cite this entry
APA

run out of steam. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/run%20out%20of%20steam

MLA

“run out of steam.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/run%20out%20of%20steam. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “run out of steam,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/run%20out%20of%20steam.

Source: run out of steam on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.