tired

¹

[ tahyuhrd ]

adjective

1. exhausted, as by exertion; fatigued or sleepy:

   They provided water to a tired runner.

   Synonyms: enervated

   Antonyms: energetic

2. weary or bored (usually followed by of ):

   I'm tired of eating the same food every day.

3. hackneyed; stale, as a joke, phrase, or sermon:

   The standup comedian's tired old gags got no laughs.

4. Informal. impatient or disgusted:

   You make me tired.

tired

²

[ tahyuhrd ]

adjective

1. having a tire or tires.

tired

/ ˈtaɪəd /

adjective

1. weary; fatigued
2. foll by of
   1. having lost interest in; bored

      I'm tired of playing cards

   2. having lost patience with; exasperated by

      I'm tired of his eternal excuses

3. hackneyed; stale

   the same tired old jokes

4. tired and emotional euphemistic.
   slightly drunk

Derived Forms

• ˈtiredly, adverb
• ˈtiredness, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tired¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English tyred; tire ¹; -ed ²( def )

Origin of tired²

First recorded in 1890–95; tire ² + -ed ³

Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with tired , also see dead on one's feet (tired) ; sick and tired .

Synonym Study

Tired, exhausted, fatigued, wearied, weary suggest a condition in which a large part of one's energy and vitality has been consumed. One who is tired has used up a considerable part of their bodily or mental resources: to feel tired at the end of the day. One who is exhausted is completely drained of energy and vitality, usually because of arduous or long-sustained effort: The horse was left exhausted after a hard run. One who is fatigued has consumed energy to a point where rest and sleep are demanded: A good workout can leave you feeling rather pleasantly fatigued. One who is wearied has been under protracted exertion or strain that has gradually worn out their strength: The sentry sat down, wearied by a long vigil. Weary suggests a more permanent condition than wearied: The family is weary of struggling against misfortunes.

Example Sentences

He can appear tired in news conferences but there is also an inner fire which has enabled him to set and maintain his standards.

From BBC

People were tired and really didn’t know what to make of a movie that shifts between the points of view of the two main characters and has a subjective, impressionistic mode of storytelling.

From Los Angeles Times

I just got tired of waiting around and was thinking, if I could have my show, what would it be?

From Los Angeles Times

"No, because I just didn't think it would have the impact it did, because I was just that sick and tired of it, it was draining," Rooney said.

From BBC

Mr Scullion, who spends his days driving for the dial-a-lift service, said rural roads in Mid Ulster are "very tired" and "the edges have eroded away".

From BBC

Related Words

• annoyed
• bored
• distressed
• drained
• exasperated
• fatigued
• irritated
• overworked
• sleepy
• stale