Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. worn-out, exhausted; also fig. use.

1935		X. Petulengro Romany Life 181: This b--- country is knackered! he kept repeating [...] Nothing doing. Nothing under their hats. Nothing in their pockets.
1943		(con. 1850s) G.A. Little Malachi Horan Remembers 90: I’m fairly nackered this time.
1959		A. Sillitoe ‘Noah’s Ark’ Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner (1960) 100: Bert complained that he was knackered.
1965		L. Dunne Goodbye to The Hill (1966) 149: I was really knackered after the bicycle ride.
1976		P. Theroux Family Arsenal 242: I’m knackered. How about a cup of tea?
1981		T. Wilkinson Down and Out 18: ‘I wish I could,’ he said, ‘but I’m knackered.’.
1986		R.G. Barrett Real Thing 122: I’m gonna have to go straight to bed. I’m about knackered.
1993		I. Welsh Trainspotting 235: Ah thought fuck it, ah’m knackered, n ah climbed oantae the bed.
1998		R.G. Barrett Mud Crab Boogie (2013) [ebook] Evelyn was starting to look rather knackered.
2000		R.G. Barrett Leaving Bondi (2013) [ebook] Between driving up there in the rain, the booze, the rich meal and the blow job, he was knackered.
2003		N. Griffiths Stump 190: This bag of shoppin’s so friggin heavy [...] I’m gettin knackered.
2009		P. Temple Truth 284: I’m not joining you. Exhausted. I’d say knackered if I wasn’t such a lady.
2010		K. Richards Life 491: Afterwards you have a few hours free if you want, if you’re not knackered.
2012		(con. 1943) G.S. Manson Irish Fandango [ebook] ‘Not tonight love, I’m knackered’.

2. of a person, dead.

1943

G.A. Little Malachi Horan Remembers 79: Didn’t I know it was a judgement, and but for somebody’s prayer I was knackered.

3. of machinery, objects, broken, irreparable.

1971		J. Mandelkau Buttons 51: It was knackered and virtually worthless.
1983		J. Sullivan ‘Wanted’ Only Fools and Horses [TV script] She’s gonna find out her kettle’s been knackered.
1999		Guardian G2 24 June 9: Everything’s completely knackered – bald rugs, damask and brocade in shreds.
2000		N. Griffiths Grits 179: Chuckin orld clorthes awer is a waste, no matteh how knackered theh ar; yih can alwers chop em up t’merk summat else.
2007		S. Maloney Sucked In 143: We sprawled among the ravaged platters, devastated dips and knackered plastic glassware.
2012		R. Milward Kimberly’s Capital Punishment (2023) 125: Donald went to sit on [...] one of the knackered sewing machines.

4. stopped from doing what one wishes, thwarted.

1979		D. Maitland Breaking Out 188: It means you’re knackered [....] And so too, I’d imagine, is the great escape.
1985		J. Sullivan ‘To Hull and Back’ Only Fools and Horses [TV script] Unless I can catch the courier with the stones on him I’m knackered.
1991		T. Delaney Where We Sported and Played 32: This fella would blow our cover if found by someone else. ‘You’d better find him or we’re knackered.’.

5. drunk.

1989		A. Higgins ‘The Bird I Fancied’ in Helsingør Station and Other Departures 1538: You drank till you were cleaned out, feeling ‘knackered’.
1997–2001		Online Sl. Dict. 🌐 knackered adj 1. extremely inebriated. (‘He was completely knackered.’).