weariness
Americannoun
-
the state or condition of being physically or mentally exhausted by hard work, exertion, strain, etc.; tiredness; fatigue.
Weariness, pain, and hunger made the wretched man fall asleep, and he slept the whole night.
-
impatience or dissatisfaction with something tedious or burdensome (often used in combination).
The people have begun to show a war-weariness and apathy brought on by the long, brutal struggle for independence.
At 50, the singer still has boyish charm with none of the weariness of life—he’s curious, passionate, and engaged.
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the quality of causing such fatigue or dissatisfaction; a tiring or tedious quality.
The summer heat only heightened the weariness of their journey.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of weariness
Explanation
Weariness is a temporary feeling of low energy and tiredness. Most people feel weariness after a long day of work. Marathons, babysitting small children, standardized tests, and getting old can also cause weariness. When you're weary, you're tired. Put a –ness at the end of the word to make a noun, and viola! weariness is the condition of feeling tired or fatigued. In fact, the familiar French loan word fatigue means “weariness.” Physical work (like helping someone move) or mental work (like reading a difficult book) can make you experience weariness. If a busy schedule is making you feel a general sense of weariness, it’s time for a vacation.
Vocabulary lists containing weariness
Maniac Magee
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Chains
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Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
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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.
There is a particular weariness that comes from hearing courts speak eloquently about equality while repeatedly encountering circumstances that seem to demand far more rigorous scrutiny than they receive.
From Slate ● Jun. 17, 2026
Music is such a special human thing that I think there is this weariness of how techie it’s all gotten in terms of how you interact with music.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
"Citizens also perceive that tension in the public debate causes weariness, disenchantment and disaffection," Felipe said in his traditional address to the nation from Madrid's Royal Palace.
From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025
There's a sense of intrigue among some of the neighbours, but there's also a lot of weariness.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2025
Although the sweetgrass smoke took away his weariness, it hadn’t taken away his hunger and thirst.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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.
