wear out

[ wair out ]

verb phrase

1. to make or become unfit or useless through hard or extended use, exposure to sunlight or hard water, etc.:

   Our daughter always wore out her play clothes before she outgrew them.

2. to exhaust, as by continued strain; weary:

   Your endless bickering is wearing me out.

   The people’s patience was being worn out by this tedious uncertainty and long waiting.

   Synonyms: drain, fatigue, tire

3. to deprive of meaning or effect by frequent repetition:

   That excuse was worn out long ago—I’m tired of hearing it.

   We’re going to wear out the words “amazing” and “incredible” if we keep overusing them.

4. to consume or remove, or be consumed or removed, especially slowly or gradually:

   Avoid placing the pavement painting where heavy foot traffic will wear out the paint faster.

noun

1. the act or fact of wearing out or being worn out; a worn-out condition:

   I’ve had these pants for 20 years, and they’re only now showing some wear-out at the knees.

wear out

verb

1. to make or become unfit or useless through wear
2. tr to exhaust or tire

Word History and Origins

Origin of wear out¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; noun use of verb phrase wear out

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. wear out one's welcome. welcome ( def 10 ).

Example Sentences

The Pentagon bureaucracy is deeply entrenched; it can wear out far more agile players than Hegseth.

From Slate

Another soldier also told the BBC that equipment is a problem, saying it “varies, but most often it's some random set of uniforms, standard boots that wear out within a day, and a kit bag with a label showing it was made in the mid-20th Century”.

From BBC

The researchers also modeled a promising mitigation: putting colonies into indoor cold storage, so honey bees will cluster in their hive before too many workers wear out.

From Science Daily

However, those ultrathin appendages are difficult to make and wear out within a few weeks.

From Science Magazine

Now that it’s here, though, it’s one that doesn’t wear out its welcome.

From Salon