ausgespielt
|aus-ge-spielt|
/aʊsɡəˈʃpiːlt/
(ausspielen)
played out / used up
Etymology
'ausgespielt' originates from German, specifically the compound verb 'ausspielen', where the separable prefix 'aus-' meant 'out' and 'spielen' meant 'to play'.
'ausspielen' developed from older Germanic formations combining the prefix 'aus-/us-' (Old High German 'us-') with the verb 'spielen' (Middle High German 'spilen' / Old High German 'spilôn'), eventually forming the past participle 'ausgespielt' in New High German.
Initially it meant 'to play something out' in a literal sense (e.g., to play a card or perform something fully), but over time it also acquired figurative senses such as 'to outplay (an opponent)' and 'to exhaust or use up (a resource or argument)'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
past participle of 'ausspielen': literal — to have been played (e.g., a card or a move has been played).
Die Karte ist ausgespielt worden.
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Verb 2
past participle used in the sense 'to outplay' — to have outplayed an opponent (to defeat by better play or strategy).
Er wurde komplett ausgespielt und verlor das Duell.
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Adjective 1
figurative adjective meaning 'used up' or 'no longer effective' (e.g., an argument, tactic or option that has been exhausted).
Seine Einwände sind ausgespielt; niemand hört mehr darauf.
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Last updated: 2025/11/21 18:50