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

The sign, which features a rose over the green “Rose Bowl” lettering, was created in the 1950s and was patched up and tired looking after nearly 75 years.

From Los Angeles Times

Reprieved, Brook hit Southee on to the roof of the pavilion then played a tired poke at Matt Henry.

From BBC

"I was elected as a Conservative, and I got knocked out as a Conservative, but I feel, unfortunately, the party has become tired."

From BBC

This time around, the resistance is a little more tired — but not gone yet, said Weisman, who lives in Independence.

From Los Angeles Times

But Israel’s armed forces are tired, its economy is suffering, and tens of thousands of its residents are displaced.

From BBC

Related Words

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