wear out

American  

[wair out] / ˈwɛər ˈaʊt /

verb phrase

1. to make or become unfit or useless through hard or extended use, exposure to sunlight or hard water, etc..

   Our daughter always wore out her play clothes before she outgrew them.

2. to exhaust, as by continued strain; weary.

   Your endless bickering is wearing me out.

   The people’s patience was being worn out by this tedious uncertainty and long waiting.

   Synonyms:

   drain, fatigue, tire

3. to deprive of meaning or effect by frequent repetition.

   That excuse was worn out long ago—I’m tired of hearing it.

   We’re going to wear out the words “amazing” and “incredible” if we keep overusing them.

4. to consume or remove, or be consumed or removed, especially slowly or gradually.

   Avoid placing the pavement painting where heavy foot traffic will wear out the paint faster.

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noun

1. the act or fact of wearing out or being worn out; a worn-out condition.

   I’ve had these pants for 20 years, and they’re only now showing some wear-out at the knees.

idioms

1. wear out one's welcome. welcome.

wear out British  

verb

1. to make or become unfit or useless through wear

2. (tr) to exhaust or tire

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wear out More Idioms  

1. Become or cause to become unusable through long or heavy use, as in She wears out her shoes in no time , or The coupling in this device has worn out . [Early 1400s]

2. Exhaust, tire, as in I was worn out from packing all those books . Also see tired out . [First half of 1500s]

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Etymology

Origin of wear out

First recorded in 1895–1900; noun use of verb phrase wear out

Example Sentences

And when does an artist wear out his welcome?”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

“At some point, you wear out your welcome,” she said.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 22, 2025

"Just to wear out anyway. I love leopard print."

From BBC • Jul. 23, 2025

Roads, schools and parks will wear out and need to be repaired, replaced or updated.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2025

She’s worn out standing in the queue at the St.Vin- cent de Paul Society begging for boots for me and Malachy so that we can wear out the toes with the kicking.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt