wearily

American  

[weer-uh-lee] / ˈwɪər ə li /

adverb

1. in a way that shows physical or mental exhaustion.

   Amid a rain of debris and the noise of a small avalanche, two small figures drag themselves painfully and wearily from the ruins.

2. in a way that shows impatience, dissatisfaction, or overfamiliarity.

   The Staten Island Ferry is usually a scene of seasoned commuters wearily ignoring the snap-happy tourists who arrive in droves to take pictures of the Statue of Liberty.

   Seasoned activists wearily explain that these youth have been at higher risk for quite some time—but thanks for noticing.

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Etymology

Origin of wearily

weary ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

When you do something wearily, you do it with great exhaustion, like finishing a big project for school late at night when you're so tired that your eyes can barely stay open. Coming from the Old English word werig, meaning "exhausted," wearily shows the effort and struggle to keep going when energy is low, painting a clear picture of extreme tiredness. A traveler might walk wearily at the end of a long journey, each step feeling heavier than the last. Similarly, a student might complete their final exam wearily, their energy drained after hours of concentration.

Example Sentences

“I wish I had known all this earlier,” Maggie said wearily.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 14, 2025

Ireland march on with serious intent while Scotland are shunted back into wearily familiar territory.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2025

Indoors, people everywhere are assessing interior wind and water damage and wearily calculating how much time and money it will take to get their lives back to where they were before the storm.

From Slate • Oct. 21, 2024

I wearily recalled an earlier section of the book.

From New York Times • Mar. 5, 2024

“Oh, damn that infernal cupid,” said Maxim wearily.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

Related Words

• densely
• massively
• thickly