wear out

verb

wore out; worn out; wearing out; wears out

transitive verb

1
2
: to make useless especially by long or hard usage
3
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

Examples of wear out in a Sentence

keeping up with twin toddlers wears me out
Recent Examples on the Web For pieces that are worn out, cut them up and use them for rags, or look for clothing recycling options near you. Abby Ferguson, Popular Science, 28 Feb. 2024 What to Consider The pants look more definitively like loungewear than the top, and may be too casual to wear out and about. Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2024 Birders will wear out their binoculars scanning for the dozens of species found at the park including meadowlark, summer tanager, northern shoveler and wood duck. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024 These all work together to refresh, restore, and revive worn out hands. Stixx Matthews, Essence, 20 Feb. 2024 This approach develops employees and also prevents them from wearing out their welcome. Liz Kislik, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2024 Fentanyl users often inject it several times a day, and that can wear out their veins; smoking eliminates injection site challenges. Jen Christensen, CNN, 15 Feb. 2024 There are so many timeouts that the biggest advantage of pressing – wearing out your opponent – has been mitigated. Ben Steele, Journal Sentinel, 19 Jan. 2024 By Meghan Rose 13/20 Alo Yoga Muse Sweatpants This Alo Yoga bestseller, also available in black, is defined by the luxurious and plush ribbed knit material that is polished enough to wear out (especially with the matching cropped hoodie). Paula Lee, Glamour, 3 Jan. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of wear out was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Wear out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wear%20out. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wear out

verb
1
: to tire gradually
worn out from exercising
2
: to make or become useless by wear

More from Merriam-Webster on wear out

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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