weariness

[weer-ee-nis]

noun

1. the state or condition of being physically or mentally exhausted by hard work, exertion, strain, etc.; tiredness; fatigue.

   Weariness, pain, and hunger made the wretched man fall asleep, and he slept the whole night.

2. impatience or dissatisfaction with something tedious or burdensome (often used in combination).

   The people have begun to show a war-weariness and apathy brought on by the long, brutal struggle for independence.

   At 50, the singer still has boyish charm with none of the weariness of life—he’s curious, passionate, and engaged.

3. the quality of causing such fatigue or dissatisfaction; a tiring or tedious quality.

   The summer heat only heightened the weariness of their journey.

Other Word Forms

• self-weariness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of weariness¹

weary ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

The protests came amid popular anger and growing weariness with a family-run regime that has been in power for six decades.

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He also expressed concerns as well as a little "weariness", when asked, about censorship, specifically with reference to comedy writer Graham Linehan's recent arrest for comments made online about trans people.

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These days, there’s a weariness in his eyes and gait, understandable after such a profound disruption in the twilight of his life.

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For all the weariness and the risk, the younger men in the group seemed buoyed by a collective sense of adventure.

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There's a sense of intrigue among some of the neighbours, but there's also a lot of weariness.

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Related Words

• boredom 
• ennui 
• fatigue