Extremely tired, stressed, and emotionally worn out, feeling as if one's mental and physical resources are completely depleted. This state results from prolonged stress or overwhelming demands.
Originally from 'frazzle,' meaning 'to fray' or 'wear to shreds,' like fabric coming apart at the edges. The emotional usage captures the sense of being worn down to the point where one's usual coping mechanisms are falling apart.
Being frazzled represents what psychologists call 'cognitive overload'—when our mental processing capacity is exceeded, leading to decreased performance and emotional regulation. It's our brain's way of signaling that we need to reduce demands and restore our psychological resources through rest.
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