weary

[ weer-ee ]

adjective

, wea·ri·er, wea·ri·est.

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 by of ):

   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)

, wea·ried, wea·ry·ing.

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 by of ):

   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

Derived Forms

• ˈwearyingly, adverb
• ˈwearying, adjective
• ˈwearily, adverb
• ˈweariness, noun

Other Words From

• wea·ri·ly adverb
• wea·ri·ness noun
• wea·ry·ing·ly adverb
• out·wea·ry verb (used with object) outwearied outwearying
• self-wea·ry adjective
• un·wea·ry adjective
• un·wea·ry·ing 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

It made parenting less wearying when I could flick through my kids’ toy catalogs, searching for the toys I wanted.

From Salon

Our spirits were weary from a tough holiday season, from watching a few “bad” days turn into weeks, and then months.

From Los Angeles Times

Set 534 for victory, a weary Australia were left with an awkward 24 minutes to negotiate before the close.

From BBC

And he calls Enrico Colantoni, who plays their put-upon principal with weary grace, “such a gift to the project. His acting is like a drug.”

From Los Angeles Times

Menzies pulled off two sides of the coin in “Outlander” —the loving, then grieving husband Frank alongside the horrific Black Jack — as well as a weary Prince Phillip in “The Crown.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bored
• disgusted
• exhausted
• fatigued
• impatient
• jaded
• overworked
• sleepy