tire
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
to reduce or exhaust the strength of, as by exertion; make weary; fatigue (often followed byout ).
The long walk tired him.
-
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.
-
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
-
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.
-
Obsolete. to attire or array.
noun
-
Archaic. a headdress.
-
Obsolete. attire or dress.
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
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:
The French tire maker’s operating profit came in line with expectations, while free cash flow improved, the analyst says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Following the diplomatic back-and-forth about a potentially existential subject could tire anyone out, so spend the rest of your night doing something else!
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
While recording in a park one evening, Jack picks up the sound of a car tire exploding before he sees the vehicle careen off the road and into a creek.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
His positional awareness also earned praise, though his work-rate and desire to cover as much ground as possible means he can often tire himself out.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
And sure enough there were a few old tire piles rotting slowly in its cracked concrete front yard.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
“Investors are tired of saying ‘We’re going to give you the benefit of the doubt,’” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
"Physically, it was a lot. I was a little tired, but I kept pushing through it."
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
I’m genuinely sick and tired of today’s politics, and I know I’m not alone.
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026
"I just thought I was tired," he recalled.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
We changed cyclist and reader often as legs or voice grew tired, reading our way through histories, novels, plays.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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
“It’s been a great experience for me, tiring I realize now,” Orum said.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
"The mediation process... was undoubtedly tiring and tedious," said Durrani.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
Both players looked to be tiring in a physical encounter, but Raducanu - backed by a vociferous home crowd - dug deep to force a tie-break.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
Harvesting the remainder of the summer squash crop was no less tiring than it had been the day before.
From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty
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.
