running on fumes
Almost completely drained
Running on fumes describes operating with almost no energy or resources left, like a vehicle continuing briefly after the fuel gauge hits empty.
The phrase applies to exhausted people pushing through fatigue, projects surviving on minimal funding, or anything barely sustaining itself: By Friday afternoon, I was running on fumes.
The campaign is running on fumes with two weeks to go.
- gas tankVehicle's fuel storage
- running on emptyOperating without remaining resources
- shortageDeficient supply of necessities
- exhaustedUtterly depleted of energy
- dead tiredExtremely exhausted state
worn out · empty · last resort · hanging by a thread · weariness · fatigue · dwindling · collapse · resilience · grit · depletion · fortitude · burnout · drained · scarcity · determination · lethargy · sluggishness
- car talkpedal to the metal, hit the gas, step on it, floor it, burn rubber
- exhaustedtired, weary, exhausted, drained, fatigued
- exhaustion phrasesdead tired, worn out, wiped out, burned out, run down
- travel idiomshit the road, in the same boat, miss the boat, end of the road, crossroads
- fuel problemsfuel leak, fuel pump failure, clogged filter, wrong fuel, empty tank
- machine idiomswell-oiled machine, gears turning, firing on all cylinders, grinding gears, full steam ahead
running on fumesfull of energy
energized · invigorated · fired up · raring to go · pumped up
running on fumeswell-rested
Having slept enough
fresh as a daisy · refreshed · rejuvenated · restored · recuperated
runs, runner, runners, runny, fume, fumes, fumed, fuming, perfume