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:
Nor is there provision for a spare tire under the rear cargo floor—there’s a bunch of batteries under there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 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
“I don’t know if we blew a tire but it feels like the brakes locked up,” a pilot is heard saying in the video.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Sometimes I can run long distances without too much pain, while other times a shopping trip can tire me out.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
I thought she merely wanted to warn me that I had a flat tire.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
Finally, in 2025, he got tired of missing out.
From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026
Heading back to the hotel, I can’t remember when I’ve been so tired.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Some observers felt he looked tired against City, which only heightened questions around his involvement against Azerbaijan champions Sabah FK in the Champions League.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Josner Herrera is sick and tired of dealing with daily power cuts, especially when her part of western Venezuela produces a fair bit of electricity.
From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026
“We are too tired to go to the sea,” I said.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
While Walker admits two-show days can be tiring and she spends a lot of time concentrating on “energy conservation,” the performance itself is a joy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
Although she still enjoys the communal living, she has started to find the "emotional energy" needed for decision-making and keeping a group together tiring.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
New Australian research is shedding light on why walking often becomes slower and more tiring with age.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Being of older maternal age, I found the pregnancy exhausting, and it was tiring keeping up with my child during his baby and toddler years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
It was awfully tiring, all this marching, especially when you’d gone and lost one of your shoes.
From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff
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.
