Why would people say "broken" to someone exhausted? Is it because the person's condition is so bad that it seems they will never function well again?

Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
It's similar to that! It's not necessarily that they'll never function again, though. Technically and figuratively, something "broken" can be fixed. It does mean something like "lost all hope." But actually, the phrase used here is "broken down," which means worn out or in bad condition. Ex: That broken-down washing machine won't last more than a week. Ex: After pushing through the semester, I feel broken down.