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

Components wear out over time, and repairing one issue can expose another.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

Over time, they wear out and are replaced in a process known as molting.

From Science Daily • Mar. 18, 2026

Normal people don’t wear out the refresh button on BLS.gov when the federal government is about to drop new employment data, like I do.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 18, 2025

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

From BBC • Jul. 23, 2025

Perhaps they would wear out all their last strength only to find more starving people and these strangers to them as well.

From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck