weariness 1 of 3

weary

2 of 3

adjective

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2
3
as in tiring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest a weary march through a lot of boring facts and figures

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

weary

3 of 3

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word weary distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of weary are exhaust, fatigue, jade, and tire. While all these words mean "to make or become unable or unwilling to continue," weary stresses tiring until one is unable to endure more of the same thing.

wearied of the constant arguing

When is it sensible to use exhaust instead of weary?

The meanings of exhaust and weary largely overlap; however, exhaust implies complete draining of strength by hard exertion.

shoveling snow exhausted him

In what contexts can fatigue take the place of weary?

The synonyms fatigue and weary are sometimes interchangeable, but fatigue suggests great lassitude from excessive strain or undue effort.

fatigued by the day's chores

Where would jade be a reasonable alternative to weary?

While the synonyms jade and weary are close in meaning, jade suggests the loss of all freshness and eagerness.

appetites jaded by overindulgence

When is tire a more appropriate choice than weary?

Although the words tire and weary have much in common, tire implies a draining of one's strength or patience.

the long ride tired us out

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of weariness
Adjective
Officials noted that the public can grow weary from too many flooding alerts or forecasts that turn out to be minor. CBS News, 7 July 2025 And the family members of the missing — from the camp and elsewhere — continue to grow weary. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 7 July 2025
Verb
Amid all this morphing, what has stayed constant is that COVID has been, in one way or another, wearying in a bone-deep way. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Mar. 2025 He is wearied but stays firm in the notion that his job isn’t to badger and demean the half of the country that disagrees with him. Ismail Muhammad, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for weariness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weariness
Noun
  • Between stress, shame, emotional disconnection, the current state of the world being challenging, and just plain exhaustion, desire can come and go.
    Dominique Fluker, Essence, 5 Aug. 2025
  • The exhaustion and boredom is certainly a factor, but these books just aren’t making a strong case for themselves anymore.
    James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • However, without enough structured activity, the breed can become restless and turn to destructive behaviors out of boredom.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 July 2025
  • For some, the stakes are high; for others, this is content to be consumed in a moment of boredom.
    Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 30 July 2025
Adjective
  • The tired belief that Republicans are better at handling the economy simply isn’t true.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025
  • Morticia reams Thing out for failing to be loyal to her and Gomez; Thing is tired of being treated like a servant.
    Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Both movies follow Thomas Crown, a wealthy but bored businessman, who entertains himself by committing crimes.
    Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
  • Simply pick from a list of basic emotions such as: sad, happy, angry, anxious, bored or use a mood tracking app for prompts.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Superman’s meh international returns can also be understood as reflective of the worldwide audience tiring of Hollywood’s cultural diktats.
    Chris Lee, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025
  • With both sets of players tiring, the best chance of the 30-minute period would fall to substitute Salma Paralluelo, who could not divert Batlle’s cross towards goal from four yards out.
    Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 27 July 2025
Verb
  • Still the gigantic creature bored his way downward, with undiminished speed.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
  • The female bores into the fig to lay its eggs, which hatch out as larvae inside the fruit and eat the unripe insides before burrowing their way out.
    Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Do not let a liberal see a woman smiling while wearing a short denim skirt.
    Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2025
  • There will be a moment’s silence held at all Premier League matches this weekend, with players also wearing black armbands.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • To be clear, however, your fatigue probably wouldn’t be isolated to mealtimes if this were the case.
    Caroline Tien, SELF, 6 Aug. 2025
  • From a physiological point of view, fatigue is associated with a rise in cortisol, the neuromediator that reflects our resilience to emotional or physical stress.
    Mélanie Defouilloy, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Weariness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weariness. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

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