tire

1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈtī(-ə)r 

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

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• weaken
• waste
• soften
• exhaust
• hurt
• injure

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

There’s not been enough rest on the ball, keeping it and pinning teams in (their defensive third) and tiring them out. —Braidon Nourse, The Denver Post, 23 Mar. 2025

Runs in them were short, quick bursts, relishing the feeling of power transferring through my feet but being careful not to tire and start clunking. —Jonathan Beverly, Outside Online, 23 June 2025

Noun

Turn into the skid - Turning into the skid can help the vehicle's tires realign to regain control. —Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2025

Jalal Khoury, a Fond du Lac resident and mechanical engineer, noticed premature tire wear on his Honda Odyssey minivan after 28,000 miles. —Rick Barrett, jsonline.com, 14 July 2025

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

Phrases Containing tire

• balloon tire
• bias-belted tire
• bias-ply tire
• change a (flat) tire
• snow tire
• spare tire
• tire of
• tire pressure

Rhymes for tire

• acquire
• attire
• bonfire
• campfire
• ceasefire
• conspire
• desire
• enquire
• entire
• greenbrier
• gunfire
• homebuyer

Kids Definition

tire

1 of 2 verb

ˈtī(ə)r 

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

ˈtī(ə)r 

tired; tiring

intransitive verb

: to become weary

transitive verb

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