tired

¹ American  

[tahy^uhrd] / taɪərd /

adjective

1. exhausted, as by exertion; fatigued or sleepy.

   They provided water to a tired runner.

   Synonyms:

   enervated

   Antonyms:

   energetic

2. weary or bored (usually followed byof ).

   I'm tired of eating the same food every day.

3. hackneyed; stale, as a joke, phrase, or sermon.

   The standup comedian's tired old gags got no laughs.

4. Informal. impatient or disgusted.

   You make me tired.

---

tired ² American  

[tahy^uhrd] / taɪərd /

adjective

1. having a tire or tires.

---

tired British  

/ ˈtaɪəd /

adjective

1. weary; fatigued

2. (foll by of)

   1. having lost interest in; bored

      I'm tired of playing cards

   2. having lost patience with; exasperated by

      I'm tired of his eternal excuses

3. hackneyed; stale

   the same tired old jokes

4. euphemistic slightly drunk

---

tired Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing tired

• dead on one's feet (tired)
• sick and tired

---

Related Words

Tired, exhausted, fatigued, wearied, weary suggest a condition in which a large part of one's energy and vitality has been consumed. One who is tired has used up a considerable part of their bodily or mental resources: to feel tired at the end of the day. One who is exhausted is completely drained of energy and vitality, usually because of arduous or long-sustained effort: The horse was left exhausted after a hard run. One who is fatigued has consumed energy to a point where rest and sleep are demanded: A good workout can leave you feeling rather pleasantly fatigued. One who is wearied has been under protracted exertion or strain that has gradually worn out their strength: The sentry sat down, wearied by a long vigil. Weary suggests a more permanent condition than wearied: The family is weary of struggling against misfortunes.

Other Word Forms

• tiredly
  adverb
• tiredness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of tired¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English tyred; see origin at tire ¹; see also -ed ² ( def. )

Origin of tired²

First recorded in 1890–95; tire ² + -ed ³

Explanation

If you're tired, you should get some rest. If you're tired of being tired, you might need to eat better and exercise more. If you're tired of being told what to do, you should stop asking for advice. Tired can also mean that something is old news, or worn out to the point where people don't want to hear it anymore. Although you still find them funny, your co-workers think your impressions of your favorite cartoon characters are pretty tired.

Example Sentences

Tired of Santas and relentlessly cheerful snowmen filling every screen?

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025

Tired of paying up for trendy AI stocks trading at lofty valuations relative to their expected earnings, investors went bargain hunting after the Federal Reserve delivered another interest-rate cut on Wednesday.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 13, 2025

Tired of conflict, Israelis and Palestinians contemplated the end of the most destructive war in a common history too frequently punctuated by fighting.

From BBC • Jun. 28, 2025

Tired of working too many hours with a chronic illness.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2025

Tired and hungry, Wild devoured a seal steak as he described their nine hours of searching the coastline.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Related Words

• annoyed
• bored
• distressed
• drained
• exasperated
• fatigued
• irritated
• overworked
• sleepy
• stale