The State of Being Worn Out
ぐったり (guttari) describes being limp, drained, and completely worn out — slumped in a chair after a brutal day, a pet flattened by summer heat, or a body weakened by fever. The image is of all your energy gone, leaving you too tired even to sit up straight.
ぐったり belongs to the gitaigo (擬態語) category, describing a physical and mental state rather than a sound. It conveys total depletion: the moment exhaustion stops being “tired” and becomes “can’t move.”
When to Use ぐったり
The standard pattern is 「ぐったりする」 (to be worn out) or 「ぐったりしている」 (to be slumped, drained). Common causes are overwork (残業), summer heat (暑さ), illness (病気), and stress. It’s stronger than just being 疲れた (tired) — ぐったり means visibly limp and out of energy. The opposite mood is the bouncy ぴんぴん (pinpin), full of health and vigor.
Fun Fact
Japanese summers are humid enough that ぐったり becomes a seasonal word. News and social media fill with photos of pets lying ぐったり on cool floors during heat waves, and 夏バテ (natsubate) — summer fatigue — is the official term for the ぐったり exhaustion the heat brings on.
Examples
In Anime
Demon Slayer (鬼滅の刃)
After brutal training and drawn-out battles, Tanjiro and the others collapse ぐったり, the exhaustion making their endurance feel earned.
March Comes in Like a Lion (3月のライオン)
Rei often ends up ぐったり from emotional and mental exhaustion, the heavy fatigue mirroring the weight he carries inside.