weary

[weer-ee]

adjective

wearier, weariest 

1. physically or mentally exhausted by hard work, exertion, strain, etc.; fatigued; tired.

   weary eyes;

   a weary brain.

   Synonyms: worn-out, spent
   Antonyms: energetic

2. characterized by or causing fatigue.

   a weary journey.

3. impatient or dissatisfied with something (often followed byof ).

   weary of excuses.

4. characterized by or causing impatience or dissatisfaction; tedious; irksome.

   a weary wait.

   Synonyms: wearisome, tiresome
   Antonyms: interesting

verb (used with or without object)

wearied, wearying 

1. to make or become weary; fatigue or tire.

   The long hours of work have wearied me.

   Synonyms: exhaust

2. to make or grow impatient or dissatisfied with something or at having too much of something (often followed byof ).

   The long drive had wearied us of desert scenery.

   We had quickly wearied at such witless entertainment.

   Synonyms: jade, irk
   Antonyms: interest

weary

/ ˈwɪərɪ /

adjective

1. tired or exhausted

2. causing fatigue or exhaustion

3. caused by or suggestive of weariness

   a weary laugh

4. (postpositive; often foll by of or with) discontented or bored, esp by the long continuance of something

verb

1. to make or become weary

2. to make or become discontented or impatient, esp by the long continuance of something

Other Word Forms

• wearily adverb
• weariness noun
• wearyingly adverb
• outweary verb (used with object)
• self-weary adjective
• unweary adjective
• unwearying adjective
• wearying adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of weary¹

First recorded before 900; (adjective) Middle English wery, Old English wērig; cognate with Old Saxon -wōrig; akin to Old English wōrian “to crumble, break down, totter”; (verb) Middle English werien, Old English wēr(i)gian, derivative of the adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of weary¹

Old English wērig; related to Old Saxon wōrig, Old High German wuorag drunk, Greek hōrakian to faint

Synonym Study

See tired ¹.

Example Sentences

This de facto support group has no big inspirational speeches to offer Dusty, just a weary resilience to keep going because, really, what else can they do?

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The character has a scrap of backstory in a photo of his dead wife and kids, pathos that Tommila’s weary, teary blue eyes hit a little too hard.

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It's a wearying cycle of failure from a team that's still stymied by its own weak psychology.

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In all her weary playacting, she had forgotten about ordering these things, but their arrival reminded her to get “back in character,” so to speak.

Read more on Literature

There were hundreds of bulbs to be planted; Penelope grew weary thinking of all the holes he would have to dig.

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Related Words

• annoy 
• bore 
• depress 
• dishearten 
• exasperate 
• exhaust 
• fade 
• irk 
• tire