tire
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to reduce or exhaust the strength of, as by exertion; make weary; fatigue (often followed byout ).
The long walk tired him.
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to exhaust the interest, patience, etc., of; make weary; bore.
Your stories tire me.
- Synonyms:
- irk, exasperate
verb (used without object)
-
to have the strength reduced or exhausted, as by labor or exertion; become fatigued; be sleepy.
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to have one's appreciation, interest, patience, etc., exhausted; become or be weary; become bored (usually followed byof ).
He soon tired of playing billiards.
noun
noun
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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)
verb (used with object)
-
Archaic. to dress (the head or hair), especially with a headdress.
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Obsolete. to attire or array.
noun
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Archaic. a headdress.
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Obsolete. attire or dress.
verb
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(tr) to reduce the energy of, esp by exertion; weary
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(tr; often passive) to reduce the tolerance of; bore or irritate
I'm tired of the children's chatter
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(intr) to become wearied or bored; flag
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tire1
First recorded before 900; Middle English tire(n), teoren “to diminish, weaken,” Old English tȳrian, tēorian “to faint, cause to faint”; further etymology uncertain
Origin of tire2
First recorded in 1475–85; special use of tire 3 (in the sense “dress, attire, accouterment (for a wheel”)
Origin of tire3
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English tire(n), teren “to clothe, dress, equip (a knight) for battle”; shortening of attire
Explanation
To tire is to grow weary or bored with something. As a noun, a tire is the large, rubber ring that surrounds a car's wheel. You might tire from the hard work of changing a flat tire. When you tire, you need rest, or sometimes just a break: "When I tire of working on my homework, I like to read a book or watch TV for a while." As far as etymology goes, the verb is completely unrelated to the noun. The verb comes from an Old English word meaning "to become or make weary." The wheel-covering tire, on the other hand, was originally a shortened form of attire, "clothing or apparel," from the idea that a tire is, in a sense, clothing for a naked wheel.
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.
See Examples For:
He extended his partnership with captain Pat Cummins in the morning session to 86 and then expertly controlled a stand of 134 with number 10 Nathan Lyon to frustrate and tire South Africa's bowlers.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Formerly the proud owner of three Great Danes, Herman now spends about two hours a day at the dog park to tire out his rescued Jack Russell mix, Willy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
McNulty visibly began to tire on the final climb and his lead was cut to just 10 seconds, but the chasing pack were unable to reel him in.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
Those craters can be produced by rocks roughly 43 inches wide, about the size of a monster-truck tire.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
The wheel wells over each tire flare out like big, angry lips.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
Presidents famously age during their terms, often starting off looking hale and hearty and, by the time they’re finished, appearing tired, more lined and a whole lot grayer than when they started.
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026
Need to Know: After a 33% gain in the first half, this fund manager grew tired of the AI trade.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 10, 2026
If asked, I probably would have told you I was feeling a little tired, wired, or off-kilter, so none of those readings were all that revelatory.
From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026
I’ve seen comedians throw out stuff that’s really good just because they’re tired of it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
I was so tired, the idea of trying to explain my name and everything else overwhelmed me.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
But regional delegates admitted the process was tiring.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
A notoriously tiring stairway leading to the Trinity from the train station is also being replaced by an escalator.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
New Australian research is shedding light on why walking often becomes slower and more tiring with age.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
While some fast food joints have over-innovated to the point where customers see it as tiring or gimmicky, Taco Bell appears to have found the right balance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
My feet and ankles started to swell and I was finding it very tiring to stand.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
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.
