wear out

verb

wore out; worn out; wearing out; wears out

transitive verb

1

: tire, exhaust

2

: to make useless especially by long or hard usage

3

: erase, efface

4

: to endure through : outlast

wear out a storm

5

: to consume (time) tediously

wear out idle days

intransitive verb

: to become useless from long or excessive wear or use

Synonyms

• break
• burn out
• bust
• do in
• do up
• drain
• exhaust
• fag
• fatigue
• frazzle
• harass
• kill
• knock out
• outwear
• tire
• tucker (out)
• wash out
• wear
• weary

Examples of wear out in a Sentence

keeping up with twin toddlers wears me out

Recent Examples on the Web

But Perry quickly wears out his welcome by exacerbating the rivalry with 1980s versions of the neighboring Tillerson family. —Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 May 2024

Driving on winter tires during warmer seasons makes your winter tires wear out much faster, and your vehicle’s road handling will suffer, too. —Logan Carter, Quartz, 12 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

wear out

verb

1

: to tire gradually

worn out from exercising

2

: to make or become useless by wear