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 of wear out

• wear
• kill
• tire
• exhaust
• drain
• burn out

Examples of wear out in a Sentence

keeping up with twin toddlers wears me out

Recent Examples on the Web

Overall, workout shorts that wear out quickly usually last less than a year, while more durable options last longer than a year. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026

Shoppers love these wide-leg pants, saying they’re polished enough to wear out and cozy enough to use as pajamas. — Melody Kazel, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026

The conditions could help them, given the pitches will be worn out and tired after the heatwave that has gripped the United Kingdom, but few Pakistani supporters will believe their team can win. — Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

This is a sign that internal parts like your clutch or transmission bands are wearing out. — Michael Kurko, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for wear out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

wear out

verb

1

: to tire gradually

worn out from exercising

2

: to make or become useless by wear