tire

1 of 4

verb (1)

tired; tiring

intransitive verb

: to become weary

transitive verb

1
: to exhaust or greatly decrease the physical strength of : fatigue
2
: to wear out the patience of : bore

tire

2 of 4

noun (1)

often attributive
1
: a rubber cushion that fits around a wheel (as of an automobile) and usually contains compressed air
2
: a metal hoop forming the tread of a wheel

tire

3 of 4

noun (2)

1
obsolete : attire
2
archaic : a woman's headband or hair ornament

tire

4 of 4

verb (2)

tired; tiring

transitive verb

1
obsolete : attire
2
archaic : to adorn (the hair) with an ornament
Choose the Right Synonym for tire

tire, weary, fatigue, exhaust, jade mean to make or become unable or unwilling to continue.

tire implies a draining of one's strength or patience.

the long ride tired us out

weary stresses tiring until one is unable to endure more of the same thing.

wearied of the constant arguing

fatigue suggests great lassitude from excessive strain or undue effort.

fatigued by the day's chores

exhaust implies complete draining of strength by hard exertion.

shoveling snow exhausted him

jade suggests the loss of all freshness and eagerness.

appetites jaded by overindulgence

Examples of tire in a Sentence

Verb (1) I don't want our walk to tire you too much this long dry lecture will tire the audience if you don't insert some jokes into it this pentathlon will tire all but the hardiest athletes
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Not huddling is a great way to tire your skill-position players and put your defensive players back on the field in a hurry if things don’t go well. Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 7 Oct. 2024 The constant travel and being away from family have tired me over the years. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024 The fifth saw Joshua begin what would have been an unlikely comeback as Dubois started to tire. Jamie Barton, CNN, 22 Sep. 2024 There’s plenty of definition and detail all the way from that subsonic base to the tiniest treble details and yet the sound never strains or tires the listener’s ears because the planar magnetic drivers show almost no distortion thanks to a Total Harmonic Distortion of less than 0.3%. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tire 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English tyren, from Old English tēorian, tȳrian

Noun (1)

Middle English, probably from tire entry 3

Noun (2)

Middle English, short for attire

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tire was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near tire

Cite this Entry

“Tire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tire. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

tire

1 of 2 verb
tired; tiring
1
: to become weary
2
: to decrease greatly or completely the physical strength of
3
: to wear out the patience or attention of : bore

tire

2 of 2 noun
1
: a metal hoop that forms the tread of a wheel
2
: a rubber cushion that usually contains compressed air and fits around a wheel
automobile tires

Medical Definition

tire

verb
tired; tiring

intransitive verb

: to become weary

transitive verb

: to exhaust or greatly decrease the physical strength of : fatigue

More from Merriam-Webster on tire

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