To sap the strength or energy of (a person, his faculties, etc.) by toil, age, etc.; to fatigue, weary; †to exhaust (a soil).

figurative. With object a quality, condition, activity, disease, etc.: to cause to weaken, diminish, or disappear gradually. Chiefly with adverb or…

transitive. To urge (a person or animal) on in a particular task; to force or oblige (a person or animal) to work hard; to overwork. Also reflexive…

Agriculture. transitive. To impoverish, exhaust (land) by overuse or poor management. Cf. run-out, adj.1 Now rare.

transitive. To exhaust (land) by excessive or continuous cropping.

To drain (a person, kingdom, etc.) of strength or resources, or (a soil) of nutritive ingredients; hence, to weary out, enfeeble extremely.

intransitive. To teem excessively (with people, substances, etc.); to be excessively productive or fertile.

transitive. Originally and chiefly U.S. To exhaust or impoverish by excessive fishing, cropping, etc.

transitive. With out. To exhaust (land) by overfarming (see quots.). Obsolete.

transitive. To plant too much of, plant excessive numbers of (a particular crop, type of tree, etc.); to sow (land) with more crops than it can…