Definition of weary
wearier
;weariest
From the M-W Editors
Examples of weary in a Sentence
I would remember the potential for return, all things circling as they do, into something like fullness, small moments of completion that weave together, like Penelope's cloth, doing and undoing themselves by turns, an unfinished pattern that guides a weary traveler home … —Paul Sorrell, Parabola, May 2000
But for the wilted weeds that managed to jut forth in wiry clumps where the mortar was cracked and washed away, the viaduct wall was barren of everything except the affirmation of a weary industrial city's prolonged and triumphant struggle to monumentalize its ugliness. —Philip Roth, American Pastoral, 1997
Every day for a week Ellsworth showed up to see Clarence and every day Miss Eunice and Mr. George Edward would exchange weary glances and shrugs … —Randall Kenan, Let the Dead Bury Their Dead, 1992
I need to rest my weary eyes.
The miners were weary after a long shift.
She was weary from years of housework.
Sick and Tired: the Literal and Figurative Meanings of lassitude
Lassitude and weariness make an interesting pair. As with many nearly synonymous pairs of words in English, one is derived from Latin and the other from Old English. Even though they both mean “the condition of being tired,” they are used in different ways. Following a common pattern, the Latinate word tends to be used in technical, medical, and formal writing, and the Old English-derived word is used when referring to physical, emotional, and spiritual qualities.
Lassitude comes from the Latin word lassus, meaning “weary.” Our English spelling comes from the French word that developed directly from Latin, borrowed in the 15th century. In French, the word las (masculine) or lasse (feminine) means “weary” or “tired,” and the idiom être las de means “to be sick and tired of.” This led to another English word with the same root: alas, a word that expresses sadness or disappointment, but conveys some measure of fatigue and resignation as well.
Though it sometimes is just a fancy word for fatigue in medical contexts, lassitude is also used in ways that are metaphorical and closer in meaning to “negligence”:
Congress was being choked by pettiness and lassitude.
The case was delayed because of sheer lassitude.
The failure was the result of moral lassitude.
Origin and Etymology of weary
Middle English wery, from Old English wērig; akin to Old High German wuorag intoxicated and perhaps to Greek aōros sleep
First Known Use: before 12th century
Definition of weary
wearied
;wearying
intransitive verb
: to become weary
transitive verb
: to make weary
Examples of weary in a Sentence
What wearies me about Dickens, however, is his excessive use of words. —Will Manley, Booklist, 1 Nov. 2006
Does it weary me to find some women of the next generation reinventing the wheel when it comes to planning their lives and dreaming of their romantic futures? —Margo Jefferson, New York Times Book Review, 15 Apr. 2001
I doubted what Indonesia now had to offer and wearied of being new all over again. —Barack Obama, Dreams from My Father, (1995) 2004
The work wearies me sometimes.
these constant complaints are really wearying me
Origin and Etymology of weary
see 1weary
First Known Use: before 12th century
Synonym Discussion of weary
WEARY Defined for English Language Learners
weary
playDefinition of weary for English Language Learners
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: lacking strength, energy, or freshness because of a need for rest or sleep
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: bored or annoyed by something because you have seen it, heard it, done it, etc., many times or for a long time
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: causing you to feel tired
WEARY Defined for Kids
Definition of weary for Students
wearier
;weariest
1 : having lost strength, energy, or freshness : tired weary eyes
2 : having lost patience, pleasure, or interest I'm growing weary of their quarreling.
3 : causing a loss of strength or interest the weary hours
wearily
\ˈwir-ə-lē\ adverbweariness
\ˈwir-ē-nəs\ nounDefinition of weary for Students
wearied
;wearying
: to make or become weary
Learn More about weary
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See words that rhyme with weary Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for weary Spanish Central: Translation of weary Nglish: Translation of weary for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of weary for Arabic speakers
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