fatigue

American  

[fuh-teeg] / fəˈtig /

noun

1. weariness from bodily or mental exertion.

2. a cause of weariness; slow ordeal; exertion.

   the fatigue of driving for many hours.

3. Physiology. temporary diminution of the irritability or functioning of organs, tissues, or cells after excessive exertion or stimulation.

4. Civil Engineering. the weakening or breakdown of material subjected to stress, especially a repeated series of stresses.

5. Also called fatigue duty.  Military.

   1. labor of a generally nonmilitary kind done by soldiers, such as cleaning up an area, digging drainage ditches, or raking leaves.

   2. the state of being engaged in such labor.

      on fatigue.

6. Military. fatigues. see fatigues.

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adjective

1. of or relating to fatigues or any clothing made to resemble them.

   The guerrilla band wore fatigue pants and field jackets.

   She brought fatigue shorts to wear on the hike.

verb (used with object)

fatigues, present (3rd person singular) fatigued, past participle, past fatiguing present participle

1. to weary with bodily or mental exertion; exhaust the strength of.

   Endless chatter fatigues me.

   Synonyms:

   enervate, debilitate, tire

2. Civil Engineering. to subject (a material) to fatigue.

verb (used without object)

fatigues, present (3rd person singular) fatigued, past participle, past fatiguing present participle

1. to become tired or exhausted.

2. Civil Engineering. (of a material) to undergo fatigue.

fatigue British  

/ ˈfætɪɡəbəl, fəˈtiːɡ /

noun

1. physical or mental exhaustion due to exertion

2. a tiring activity or effort

3. physiol the temporary inability of an organ or part to respond to a stimulus because of overactivity

4. the progressive cracking of a material subjected to alternating stresses, esp vibrations

5. the temporary inability to respond to a situation or perform a function, because of overexposure or overactivity

   compassion fatigue

6. 1. any of the mainly domestic duties performed by military personnel, esp as a punishment

   2. ( as modifier )

      fatigue duties

7. (plural) special clothing worn by military personnel to carry out such duties

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verb

1. to make or become weary or exhausted

2. to crack or break (a material or part) by inducing fluctuating stresses in it, or (of a metal or part) to become weakened or fail as a result of fluctuating stresses

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antifatigue
  adjective
• fatigueless
  adjective
• unfatiguing
  adjective
• fatiguingly
  adverb
• fatigable
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have fatigued
  perfect
• has fatigued
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have been fatiguing
  perfect progressive
• has been fatiguing
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• is fatiguing
  progressive 3rd person singular
• are fatiguing
  progressive
• am fatiguing
  progressive 1st person singular
• fatigues
  singular 3rd person
• fatiguing
  participle

Past

• had fatigued
  perfect
• were fatiguing
  progressive plural
• had been fatiguing
  perfect progressive
• was fatiguing
  progressive singular
• fatigued
  simple
• fatigued
  participle

Future

• will fatigue
  simple
• will have fatigued
  perfect
• will be fatiguing
  progressive
• will have been fatiguing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of fatigue

First recorded in 1685–95; from French verb fatiguer, from Latin fatīgāre “to tire”; noun derived from the verb

Explanation

Swimming and playing volleyball at the beach can make you tired and pleasantly wiped out, but long hours filling and emptying a wheelbarrow of dirt on a hot day brings fatigue, a far more draining kind of exhaustion. There is a noticeable difference between tiredness and fatigue. You can read a magazine or book before bed and get tired after a while, but if you work on math problems on a computer for a long time, you'll feel fatigue in your eyes, and maybe your brain will start to hurt. The Latin fatīgāre means to "tire out," "to fill to excess or to bursting." Even thinking about the Latin for fatigue brings some mental fatigue.

Example Sentences

The stock has outperformed energy peers since early March, as reflected in its relative strength versus the XLE, though momentum has shown signs of fatigue with bearish RSI divergence emerging as early as January.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

While inflation has slowed sharply, many Argentines say they still struggle to make ends meet, and polls suggest growing fatigue with Milei’s combative style.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

Two days later, he developed symptoms consistent with E. coli infection, including nausea, vomiting, severe fatigue and bloody diarrhea.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026

"Excitement, fatigue - everything. But this is the best moment of the season. We are still champs, two in a row, it's amazing."

From BBC • May 30, 2026

Water dripped from the beast’s whiskered muzzle, and her yellow eyes were dim with fatigue.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• disable
• exhaust
• jade
• weaken