fatigue

noun fa·tigue \ fə-ˈtēg \

|Updated on: 18 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: fatigue in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Why are uniforms called fatigues?

Definition of fatigue

1 a : labor

b : manual or menial work (such as the cleaning up of acamp area) performed by military personnel

c fatigues plural : the uniform or work clothing worn on fatigue and in the field

2 a : weariness or exhaustion from labor, exertion, or stress

We were overcome by fatigue after the long hike.

b : the temporary loss of power to respond that is induced in a sensory receptor (see receptor a) or motor (see ²motor 1) end organ by continued stimulation

c : a state or attitude of indifference or apathy brought on by overexposure (as to a repeated series of similar events or appeals)

… a super PAC supporting Hillary Clinton launched within days of Barack Obama's 2013 inauguration. Voter fatigue is just one drawback to the long campaigns, though.
—Martin Wisckol

Most of the Romney voters they visited were fairly chipper, but there is an air of election fatigue in a state where most television commercial breaks are dominated by attack ads and the phone rings off the hook with campaign calls.
—Daniel Malloy and Katie Leslie

Waning media coverage of a humanitarian crisis is usually a precursor to "donor fatigue," in which assistance from other nations fades.
—Christian Science Monitor

— see also compassion fatigue

3 : the tendency of a material to break under repeated stress

metal fatigue

See fatigue defined for English-language learners

See fatigue defined for kids

Examples of fatigue in a Sentence

We were overcome by fatigue after the long journey.
The drug's side effects include headache and fatigue.
soldiers wearing combat boots and fatigues
The cracks in the engine were caused by metal fatigue.

Recent Examples of fatigue from the Web

In a small number of cases, though, symptoms like fatigue, pain, cognitive impairment, and joint and muscle discomfort can persist for at least six months after treatment.

— kate sheridan, SELF, "Here’s Exactly What to Do if a Tick Bites You," 14 July 2018
The fatigue of back-to-back penalty shootouts for Croatia could also become a factor.

— jamie spencer, Pro Soccer USA, "World Cup preview Croatia vs England: Head to Head, Team News, Prediction & More," 11 July 2018
The parasite can also cause loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps and pain, bloating, increased gas, nausea or vomiting, fatigue, and other flu-like symptoms.

— amanda macmillan, Health.com, "What Is Cyclospora? Parasite Linked to Del Monte Vegetables Has Sickened More Than 200," 10 July 2018
My Jell-O-like legs no longer had a soft cushion to spring from and my fatigue was beginning to set in.

— claire wolters, Philly.com, "I bounced on the world's biggest bounce house," 6 July 2018
Hepatitis A symptoms include: sudden abdominal pain, fever, fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, headache, dark urine, and vomiting followed by yellowing of the skin and eyes.

— paul sisson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Hepatitis A case prompts National City treatment center warning," 6 July 2018
Fever, fatigue, joint pain or an unusual rash are all good reasons to call.

— dipesh navsaria, Houston Chronicle, "What parents should know to prevent — and deal with — bug bites," 6 July 2018
The main culprits: alcohol consumption, drugs, fatigue, inattention, and speed.

— tony bizjak, sacbee, "Here's your Fourth of July playbook for the Sacramento region," 3 July 2018
Coca leaves can suppress hunger, pain and fatigue, and alleviate the symptoms of altitude sickness.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "How Inca Mummies Helped a Soccer Player Who Was Banned from the World Cup," 29 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fatigue.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Why are uniforms called fatigues?

Fatigue is a basic part of today’s vocabulary, but, surprisingly, only dates back to the mid-17th century in English. It’s not used even a single time by Shakespeare or in the King James Bible. It came to English from French and ultimately derives from the Latin verb fatigare, meaning “to tire out” or “to exhaust.” An earlier direct borrowing into English from Latin, fatigate, was used in the 1500s before disappearing (it’s now labeled obsolete in our dictionaries). Fatigue entered English first as a noun, then the verb (“the work fatigues me”) and adjective (“a fatigue detail”) came along. The noun was used to mean both “the state of being tired” and “labor,” “effort,” or “trouble”—a sense that seems old-fashioned today. Early uses of fatigue meaning “effort” or “labor” often were in military contexts:

the fatigue of our long march

the fatigues of war

the fatigues of a long journey

they no longer have fatigue without pay

toil and fatigue

These senses led to two military-specific uses of fatigue. First, it came to mean “manual or menial work performed by military personnel,” and then, consequently, “the uniform or work clothing worn on fatigue detail and in the field.” This is how fatigues came to mean “uniform” in the military. When your job seems to be all work and no play, even your clothes are tired.

Origin and Etymology of fatigue

French, from Middle French, from fatiguer to fatigue, from Latin fatigare; akin to Latin affatim sufficiently

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1669

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

fatigue Synonyms

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

fatigue

verb

Definition of fatigue

fatigued; fatiguing

transitive verb

1 : to weary with labor or exertion

2 : to induce a condition of fatigue in

intransitive verb

: to suffer fatigue

See fatigue defined for English-language learners

Examples of fatigue in a Sentence

the rescue workers pressed on, though their efforts to reach the miners had almost completely fatigued them

Recent Examples of fatigue from the Web

This will be challenging and will fatigue the outer hip muscles, says Mansour.

— jenny mccoy, SELF, "A Quick Equipment-Free Butt Workout From Celebrity Trainer Erin Oprea," 27 June 2018
But now Federer apologists are making excuses for his loss in Halle on the grounds that he was fatigued from playing too many matches at back-to-back grass tournaments.

— jon wertheim, SI.com, "Mailbag: Is Current Form or Past Slam Performance a Better Indicator of Success in Majors?," 27 June 2018
The Red Wings were set to play in New Jersey on Monday night and might be fatigued Tuesday.

— sam carchidi, Philly.com, "Soaring Flyers take winning streak to Detroit," 22 Jan. 2018
In an interview about 1 a.m. the next day, Jones allegedly initially claimed that his wife, who had survived an earlier stroke, had been fatigued for four days.

— christine pelisek, PEOPLE.com, "'Help Me, Help Me,' Wife Says as Husband Is Allegedly Recorded Strangling Her to Death," 26 June 2018
The Multi-mode Extreme Travel Suspension (METS) system protects troops from a rough ride, smoothing it out so that soldiers aren’t fatigued by a difficult cross-country trip.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "DARPA Invents Wheels That Instantly Morph Into Triangular Tank Tracks," 25 June 2018
My own writing fatigues me, while the other (Patience Worth’s) exhilarates me.

— joy lanzendorfer, Longreads, "Ghost Writer: The Story of Patience Worth, the Posthumous Author," 14 June 2018
Graphic footage of a car crash from Florida shows a man flying out of the car after state troopers say the driver either feel asleep or was fatigued at the time of the crash.

— lilly price, USA TODAY, "Fatigued Florida man survives violent car crash into toll booth. It was caught on video," 12 June 2018
The talks continued the next morning, with some of the leaders looking visibly fatigued.

— josh wingrove, BostonGlobe.com, "G-7’s iconic photo shows its success, depending on the angle," 9 June 2018

Origin and Etymology of fatigue

see ¹fatigue

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1693

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

fatigue Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Near Antonyms

activate, energize, invigorate, rejuvenate, strengthen, vitalize;

relax, rest, unwind;

Phrases

wear to a frazzle;

Synonym Discussion of fatigue

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

fatigue

adjective

Definition of fatigue

1 : consisting of, done, or used in fatigue

fatigue detail

2 : belonging to fatigues

a fatigue cap

Origin and Etymology of fatigue

see ¹fatigue

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1774

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

FATIGUE Defined for English Language Learners

fatigue

noun

Definition of fatigue for English Language Learners

: the state of being very tired : extreme weariness
fatigues : the uniform that soldiers wear when they are doing physical work
: the tendency of a material (such as metal) to break after being bent or moved many times