fatigues

American  

[fuh-teegz] / fəˈtigz /

plural noun

1. a military uniform worn while performing manual labor or while in the field.

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Etymology

Origin of fatigues

First recorded in 1830–40

Explanation

Fatigues are the casual clothes that military personnel wear. Fatigues sometimes have a camouflage pattern. When you see Army soldiers wearing camouflage trousers and jackets, you can say they've got their fatigues on. Another name for fatigues is "battledress," as opposed to the more formal dress uniforms worn by members of all military branches. Fatigues are what soldiers wear when they're working or engaging in battle. In the 1770's, fatigues meant "extra duties of a soldier," from fatigue, or tiredness. It came to also mean "military clothing" in the mid-1880's.

Example Sentences

At the event, he wore dark glasses and camouflage fatigues, brandished an Israeli-made rifle and shouted revolutionary slogans.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

Sharaa himself, a former al-Qaeda commander-turned-Islamist rebel leader, has shucked his military fatigues for a tailored Western-style suit and now positions himself as a pragmatist.

From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026

Budanov, attired in a formal suit rather than his usual fatigues, reported tangible results but gave few details.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

Incessant scrolling, posting and the rapid, gluttonous consumption of that awful word, “content,” fatigues all of us, whether we admit it or not.

From Salon • Dec. 21, 2025

Most of us were in fatigues, the army’s work clothes.

From "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers