weariness
Americannoun
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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.
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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.
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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
Etymology
Origin of weariness
Explanation
Weariness is a temporary feeling of low energy and tiredness. Most people feel weariness after a long day of work. Marathons, babysitting small children, standardized tests, and getting old can also cause weariness. When you're weary, you're tired. Put a –ness at the end of the word to make a noun, and viola! weariness is the condition of feeling tired or fatigued. In fact, the familiar French loan word fatigue means “weariness.” Physical work (like helping someone move) or mental work (like reading a difficult book) can make you experience weariness. If a busy schedule is making you feel a general sense of weariness, it’s time for a vacation.
Vocabulary lists containing weariness
Maniac Magee
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Chains
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Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
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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.
Last year it was Belgium’s Wout van Aert, who capitalized on Pogacar’s weariness to take the last stage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
There is a particular weariness that comes from hearing courts speak eloquently about equality while repeatedly encountering circumstances that seem to demand far more rigorous scrutiny than they receive.
From Slate ● Jun. 17, 2026
The Invesco QQQ Trust began to show signs of weariness last October, notably with a doji candle on Oct.
From Barron's ● Apr. 2, 2026
If there was a relieved tone to O'Neill afterwards, there was a weariness from the German.
From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2026
It was cold but its touch was clean, and as he went on and it mounted to his knees, he felt that the stain of travel and all weariness was washed from his limbs.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
