IELTS Speaking · Vocabulary
burnout
noun/ˈbɜːnaʊt/Band 8
Last updated 21 July 2026
In short
“burnout” is a Band 8 noun that means physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or prolonged stress. Below you'll find its pronunciation, natural example sentences, synonyms and antonyms, and the collocations that help you use it accurately in the IELTS Speaking test.
Meaning
Physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or prolonged stress.
Example sentences
Natural, spoken examples at the level an examiner rewards.
- “Long hours can lead to burnout.”
- “She took time off to recover from burnout.”
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
exhaustionfatiguebreakdown
Antonyms
freshnessvitality
Collocations & common phrases
Word partners that make your usage sound natural — the difference between knowing a word and using it well.
Collocations
suffer burnoutavoid burnoutrisk of burnout
Common phrases
on the verge of burnout
Related words
Explore more vocabulary
Frequently asked questions
What does “burnout” mean?
Physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or prolonged stress.
How do you use “burnout” in a sentence?
For example: “Long hours can lead to burnout.”
What are some synonyms for “burnout”?
Synonyms include exhaustion, fatigue, breakdown.
Is “burnout” good vocabulary for IELTS Speaking?
Yes. It is Band 8 vocabulary, and collocations such as suffer burnout, avoid burnout, risk of burnout help you use it naturally. Reaching for precise, less common words like this is exactly what lifts your Lexical Resource score.
Next step
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