Unnamed mate, exhausted or drunk? (5)

I believe the answer is:

fried

'drunk?' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

I don't understand the rest of the clue.

(Other definitions for fried that I've seen before include "Cooked in oil" , "Cooked in oil/fat" , "Sauteed" , "Cooked on a hot surface" , "Such as cooking chips" .)

I've seen this clue in the Independent.

Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app