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tired1

[tahyuh rd]
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adjective
  1. exhausted, as by exertion; fatigued or sleepy: a tired runner.
  2. weary or bored (usually followed by of): tired of the same food every day.
  3. hackneyed; stale, as a joke, phrase, or sermon.
  4. Informal. impatient or disgusted: You make me tired.
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Origin of tired1

First recorded in 1350–1400, tired is from the Middle English word tyred. See tire1, -ed2
Can be confusedtired tried

Synonyms

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1. enervated. Tired, exhausted, fatigued, wearied, weary suggest a condition in which a large part of one's energy and vitality has been consumed. One who is tired has used up a considerable part of his or her bodily or mental resources: to feel tired at the end of the day. One who is exhausted is completely drained of energy and vitality, usually because of arduous or long-sustained effort: exhausted after a hard run. One who is fatigued has consumed energy to a point where rest and sleep are demanded: feeling rather pleasantly fatigued. One who is wearied has been under protracted exertion or strain that has gradually worn out his or her strength: wearied by a long vigil. Weary suggests a more permanent condition than wearied: weary of struggling against misfortunes.

Antonyms

1. rested; energetic.

tired2

[tahyuh rd]
adjective
  1. having a tire or tires.
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Origin of tired2

First recorded in 1890–95; tire2 + -ed3

tire1

[tahyuh r]
verb (used with object), tired, tir·ing.
  1. to reduce or exhaust the strength of, as by exertion; make weary; fatigue: The long walk tired him.
  2. to exhaust the interest, patience, etc., of; make weary; bore: Your stories tire me.
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verb (used without object), tired, tir·ing.
  1. to have the strength reduced or exhausted, as by labor or exertion; become fatigued; be sleepy.
  2. 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.
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noun
  1. British Dialect. fatigue.
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Origin of tire1

before 900; late Middle English (Scots) tyren (v.), Old English tȳrian, variant of tēorian to weary, be wearied

Synonyms

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2. exasperate, irk.

tire2

[tahyuh r]
noun
  1. 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.
  2. a metal band attached to the outside of the felloes and forming the tread of a wagon wheel.
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verb (used with object), tired, tir·ing.
  1. to furnish with tires.
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Also British, tyre.

Origin of tire2

First recorded in 1475–85; special use of tire3

tire3

[tahyuh r]
verb (used with object), tired, tir·ing.
  1. Archaic. to dress (the head or hair), especially with a headdress.
  2. Obsolete. to attire or array.
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noun
  1. Archaic. a headdress.
  2. Obsolete. attire or dress.
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Origin of tire3

1300–50; Middle English; aphetic variant of attire
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for tired

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • It always feels like you—like your arms, Mtterchen—and I am tired.

    The Spenders

    Harry Leon Wilson

  • Rested at Pintumbra, as there was good feed for our tired and hungry horses.

  • You must see that I am not in the least tired, only a little dazzled by the sun.

    Malbone

    Thomas Wentworth Higginson

  • It's nice to be so tired, and to know one can sleep as long as one wants.

    Ballads of a Bohemian

    Robert W. Service

  • When I have time and am not too tired, I comfort myself with scribbling.

    Ballads of a Bohemian

    Robert W. Service

British Dictionary definitions for tired

tired

adjective
  1. weary; fatigued
  2. (foll by of)
    1. having lost interest in; boredI'm tired of playing cards
    2. having lost patience with; exasperated byI'm tired of his eternal excuses
  3. hackneyed; stalethe same tired old jokes
  4. tired and emotional euphemistic slightly drunk
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Derived Formstiredly, adverbtiredness, noun

tire1

verb
  1. (tr) to reduce the energy of, esp by exertion; weary
  2. (tr; often passive) to reduce the tolerance of; bore or irritateI'm tired of the children's chatter
  3. (intr) to become wearied or bored; flag
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Derived Formstiring, adjective

Word Origin

Old English tēorian, of unknown origin

tire2

noun, verb
  1. the US spelling of tyre
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tire3

verb, noun
  1. an archaic word for attire
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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

Word Origin and History for tired

adj.

"exhausted, fatigued, weary," early 15c., past participle adjective from tire (v.).

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tire

v.

"to weary," also "to become weary," Old English teorian (Kentish tiorian), of unknown origin, not found outside English. Related: Tired; tiring.

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tire

n.

late 15c., "iron rim of a carriage wheel," probably from tire "equipment, dress, covering" (c.1300), a shortened form of attire. The notion is of the tire as the dressing of the wheel. The original spelling was tyre, which had shifted to tire in 17c.-18c., but since early 19c. tyre has been revived in Great Britain and become standard there. Rubber ones, for bicycles (later automobiles) are from 1870s.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with tired

tired

In addition to the idiom beginning with tired

also see:

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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.