be running on empty

To continue to operate with no or very little enthusiasm, energy, or resources left. I've been painting the house for four hours every night after work, and I am seriously running on empty at this point. We were running on empty by the time our team made it to the championship round. After I came down with a nasty cold, I was running on empty the last few weeks of school. I'm so glad summer break is here!

be running on empty

1. If a person or organization is running on empty, they have no new ideas or resources and so are not as exciting or successful as they were previously. Recent performances suggest a band running on empty, delaying the inevitable. A lot of societies are running on empty — muddling through without any clear sense of direction.

2. If you are running on empty, you have no energy left, either because you have been working too hard over a long period or because you have not eaten for a long time. After reaching the ultimate goal of winning six world titles consecutively, the champion was running on empty. I had skipped breakfast and was running on empty. Note: In this expression, the idea is of a car or other vehicle that is still running but has very little fuel left, so the needle of the fuel gauge is pointing to `empty'.

be running on empty

have exhausted all your resources or sustenance.

1998 New Scientist Bateson concluded that a hunted deer may be running on empty for 90 minutes, but Harris argues that this period will be just a few minutes.