tire
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to reduce or exhaust the strength of, as by exertion; make weary; fatigue (often followed byout ).
The long walk tired him.
-
to exhaust the interest, patience, etc., of; make weary; bore.
Your stories tire me.
- Synonyms:
- irk, exasperate
verb (used without object)
-
to have the strength reduced or exhausted, as by labor or exertion; become fatigued; be sleepy.
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to have one's appreciation, interest, patience, etc., exhausted; become or be weary; become bored (usually followed byof ).
He soon tired of playing billiards.
noun
noun
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a ring or band of rubber, either solid or hollow and inflated, or of metal, placed over the rim of a wheel to provide traction, resistance to wear, or other desirable properties.
-
a metal band attached to the outside of the felloes and forming the tread of a wagon wheel.
verb (used with object)
verb (used with object)
-
Archaic. to dress (the head or hair), especially with a headdress.
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Obsolete. to attire or array.
noun
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Archaic. a headdress.
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Obsolete. attire or dress.
verb
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(tr) to reduce the energy of, esp by exertion; weary
-
(tr; often passive) to reduce the tolerance of; bore or irritate
I'm tired of the children's chatter
-
(intr) to become wearied or bored; flag
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tire1
First recorded before 900; Middle English tire(n), teoren “to diminish, weaken,” Old English tȳrian, tēorian “to faint, cause to faint”; further etymology uncertain
Origin of tire2
First recorded in 1475–85; special use of tire 3 (in the sense “dress, attire, accouterment (for a wheel”)
Origin of tire3
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English tire(n), teren “to clothe, dress, equip (a knight) for battle”; shortening of attire
Explanation
To tire is to grow weary or bored with something. As a noun, a tire is the large, rubber ring that surrounds a car's wheel. You might tire from the hard work of changing a flat tire. When you tire, you need rest, or sometimes just a break: "When I tire of working on my homework, I like to read a book or watch TV for a while." As far as etymology goes, the verb is completely unrelated to the noun. The verb comes from an Old English word meaning "to become or make weary." The wheel-covering tire, on the other hand, was originally a shortened form of attire, "clothing or apparel," from the idea that a tire is, in a sense, clothing for a naked wheel.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
German tire company Continental narrowed its full-year sales outlook after its third-quarter consolidated sales fell 11.4% to 3.5 billion euros.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
She then told a story about driving a carload of children to school one day in an automobile limping along because a tire had been slashed by union opponents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
He extended his partnership with captain Pat Cummins in the morning session to 86 and then expertly controlled a stand of 134 with number 10 Nathan Lyon to frustrate and tire South Africa's bowlers.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Formerly the proud owner of three Great Danes, Herman now spends about two hours a day at the dog park to tire out his rescued Jack Russell mix, Willy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Jojo makes this sound like a tire pump spitting air.
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
But that is a wasting asset in China, where so-called new energy vehicles made up a record 67.8 percent of sales last month, according to the CPCA, leaving combustion-engine cars looking tired.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
They’re largely tired, she said, of watching Hollywood “recycle the same material over and over again,” and want to bring new stories to the table.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
But in part because of all that screen time, they’re simultaneously misattributing it to tired eyes or poor brightness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
With Littler on stage for more than two hours, he inevitably tired with his standard dropping and Sherrock was the one to take advantage, winning in a 15-dart leg in match number 15.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
He looks at me, his eyes heavy with a tired sadness.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Throwing on “Real Housewives” or “Love Island” is a guilty pleasure for many of us after a tiring workday.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
Now nearing 50, there are signs that Watters is tiring of playing the enfant terrible, that he’s over standing on his head and then coming up to flash the requisite grin.
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026
It was exemplary of the home team’s sustained energy during a long and tiring night.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
But regional delegates admitted the process was tiring.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
He found veering tiring, painful, and a little frightening.
From "Son" by Lois Lowry
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