weary

American  

[weer-ee] / ˈwɪər i /

adjective

wearier, weariest

1. physically or mentally exhausted by hard work, exertion, strain, etc.; fatigued; tired.

   weary eyes;

   a weary brain.

   Synonyms:

   worn-out, spent

   Antonyms:

   energetic

2. characterized by or causing fatigue.

   a weary journey.

3. impatient or dissatisfied with something (often followed byof ).

   weary of excuses.

4. characterized by or causing impatience or dissatisfaction; tedious; irksome.

   a weary wait.

   Synonyms:

   wearisome, tiresome

   Antonyms:

   interesting

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verb (used with or without object)

wearied, wearying

1. to make or become weary; fatigue or tire.

   The long hours of work have wearied me.

   Synonyms:

   exhaust

2. to make or grow impatient or dissatisfied with something or at having too much of something (often followed byof ).

   The long drive had wearied us of desert scenery.

   We had quickly wearied at such witless entertainment.

   Synonyms:

   jade, irk

   Antonyms:

   interest

weary British  

/ ˈwɪərɪ /

adjective

1. tired or exhausted

2. causing fatigue or exhaustion

3. caused by or suggestive of weariness

   a weary laugh

4. (postpositive; often foll by of or with) discontented or bored, esp by the long continuance of something

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verb

1. to make or become weary

2. to make or become discontented or impatient, esp by the long continuance of something

Related Words

See tired ¹.

Other Word Forms

• outweary verb (used with object)
• self-weary adjective
• unweary adjective
• unwearying adjective
• wearily adverb
• weariness noun
• wearying adjective
• wearyingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of weary

First recorded before 900; (adjective) Middle English wery, Old English wērig; cognate with Old Saxon -wōrig; akin to Old English wōrian “to crumble, break down, totter”; (verb) Middle English werien, Old English wēr(i)gian, derivative of the adjective

Explanation

Weary as an adjective means "very tired or worn out," like weary students who finished a long week of studying and taking tests. Weary comes from the Old English word werig, meaning "tired." It can also describe being extremely bored and sick of something, like on a long drive, you might grow weary of your father's singing voice. As a verb, weary means "to exhaust or wear out," like when the children you are babysitting weary you with their game of running away every time you tell them to get ready to leave the park.

Example Sentences

The play is dominated by Lithgow’s towering portrait of the artist as a weary old giant who refuses to concede an inch of ground.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

It might offer a morale boost to active shareholders weary of the stock’s decline.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

May our children help us, from The World to Come, to pull up the straps of our backpacks and make them less heavy on our weary frames.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Some traders and business owners told the BBC they were weary of having to to listen to the same four or five pieces of music on repeat.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

Left, right, left, right, endlessly tramping to drive the chill from weary legs.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• annoy
• bore
• depress
• dishearten
• exasperate
• exhaust
• fade
• irk
• tire