tire

[ tahyuhr ]

See synonyms for: tire tired tiring on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),tired, tir·ing.

to reduce or exhaust the strength of, as by exertion; make weary; fatigue (often followed by out): The long walk tired him.
to exhaust the interest, patience, etc., of; make weary; bore: Your stories tire me.

verb (used without object),tired, tir·ing.

to have the strength reduced or exhausted, as by labor or exertion; become fatigued; be sleepy.
to have one's appreciation, interest, patience, etc., exhausted; become or be weary; become bored (usually followed by of): He soon tired of playing billiards.

noun

British Dialect. fatigue.

Origin of tire

First recorded before 900; Middle English tire(n), teoren “to diminish, weaken,” Old English tȳrian, tēorian “to faint, cause to faint”; further etymology uncertain

Other words for tire

2	exasperate, irk

See synonyms for tire on Thesaurus.com

Words Nearby tire

Other definitions for tire (2 of 3)

tire²

[ tahyuhr ]

noun

a ring or band of rubber, either solid or hollow and inflated, or of metal, placed over the rim of a wheel to provide traction, resistance to wear, or other desirable properties.
a metal band attached to the outside of the felloes and forming the tread of a wagon wheel.

verb (used with object),tired, tir·ing.

to furnish with tires.

Origin of tire

First recorded in 1475–85; special use of tire³ (in the sense “dress, attire, accouterment (for a wheel”)

Also British, tyre .

Other definitions for tire (3 of 3)

tire³

[ tahyuhr ]

verb (used with object),tired, tir·ing.

Archaic. to dress (the head or hair), especially with a headdress.
Obsolete. to attire or array.

noun

Archaic. a headdress.
Obsolete. attire or dress.

Origin of tire

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English tire(n), teren “to clothe, dress, equip (a knight) for battle”; shortening of attire

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tire in a sentence

Options include bigger tires, heated seats, Bose audio and more.
Snazzy sedans and comfort rides | Joe Phillips | September 19, 2020 | Washington Blade
Six and half years had passed since the day she had crawled into the tire in the school yard and cried.
Her Stepfather Admitted to Sexually Abusing Her. That Wasn’t Enough to Keep Her Safe. | by Nadia Sussman | September 18, 2020 | ProPublica
Aftermarket tiresStock tires are probably the single biggest power-robbing items on your new ATV.
Six ways to make your ATV even more rugged | By Tyler Freel/Outdoor Life | September 17, 2020 | Popular-Science
The debt-ridden telecom giant is reportedly looking to offload its DirecTV pay-TV business after having kicked the tires on selling it a year ago.
As AT&T considers downsizing its media business, whither WarnerMedia? | Tim Peterson | September 2, 2020 | Digiday
That’s not to say we don’t kick the tires on a few things at the end, but it’s pretty minimal, and it’s mostly to look at bugs and edge cases rather than to change our underlying assumptions.
Our Election Forecast Didn’t Say What I Thought It Would | Nate Silver (nrsilver@fivethirtyeight.com) | August 17, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight

Who knew explaining how to change a tire and back out of a ditch could be so seductive?
The Golden West Up for Grabs: ‘Painted Horses’ Is the Next Great Western Novel | Wendy Smith | November 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
After a tire-puncturing spree in late October, 17-year-old Laquan McDonald was shot dead by a police officer in Chicago.
The 14 Teens Killed by Cops Since Michael Brown | Nina Strochlic | November 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The two U.S. entities, along with the RDIF, last year acquired a majority interest in a leading Russian tire maker, Voltyre-Prom.
Exclusive: Did This Manhattan Firm Help Shield a Russian Fund From Sanctions? | Bill Conroy | November 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The low crunch of packed dirt against rubber tire was overwhelmed by the ragged explosions of automatic gunfire.
A Belgian Prince, Gorillas, Guerrillas & the Future of the Congo | Nina Strochlic | November 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Eventually, even the most enthusiastic diner will tire of going to his restaurant.
Cornel West’s Disappointing Decline | David Masciotra | October 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
On the ground near the flattened tire lay a new one, just taken out of the brackets that had supported it.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run | Stanley R. Matthews
Should he snap at the rear wheel and puncture the tire—Matt's thoughts could not carry the danger further.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run | Stanley R. Matthews
All public pleasure has disappeared from among us, and we arrange parties and receptions that only tire ourselves and others.
The Art of Drinking | Georg Gottfried Gervinus
"A machine has stopped here at the side of the road quite recently," Mr. Peck offered, pointing to the tire marks in the dust.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942 | Various
Jean blew out a tire finally, because of the glass, and they were obliged to walk the remainder of the way.
The Amazing Interlude | Mary Roberts Rinehart

British Dictionary definitions for tire (1 of 3)

tire¹

/ (ˈtaɪə) /

verb

(tr) to reduce the energy of, esp by exertion; weary
(tr; often passive) to reduce the tolerance of; bore or irritate: I'm tired of the children's chatter

(intr) to become wearied or bored; flag

Origin of tire

Old English tēorian, of unknown origin

Derived forms of tire

tiring, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for tire (2 of 3)

tire²

/ (ˈtaɪə) /

noun, verb

the US spelling of tyre

British Dictionary definitions for tire (3 of 3)

tire³

/ (ˈtaɪə) /

verb, noun

an archaic word for attire

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Browse