weary 1 of 2

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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

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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 weary
Adjective
The facade was one of drama but for Preston, the reality has been a slow, weary decline. Nick Miller, New York Times, 3 May 2025 The only hope comes from gloomy Americans and forlorn Eastern Europeans in service to a weary national idea. Armond White, National Review, 2 May 2025
Verb
His name was Michael Jackson, a fact that seemed to weary him greatly. Blair Braverman, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Dec. 2024 But wearied by a turbulent couple of years that saw points deductions, relegation battles and near-constant speculation over the future of the club, the 53-year-old made clear his view that his methods were no longer having the same impact. Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for weary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weary
Adjective
  • While infants and toddlers between the ages of 0 to 2 years are more likely to experience a stuffy nose, cough, poor appetite, fussiness, and sleep problems, children between the ages of 3 to 5 years mainly complain of sleepiness, feeling tired during daytime, low energy and dry cough.
    Anuradha Varanasi, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
  • Family members said Jacobs had talked about feeling tired, but not about wanting to take his own life.
    Ames Alexander, Charlotte Observer, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • Voters would smell that and, anyway, Harris would be miserably bored in the state Capitol dealing with budget minutiae and relatively inexperienced legislative leaders.
    George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2025
  • RuPaul wants a Drag Superstar, not an ordinary girl who gets lazy and gets bored.
    Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • Of course, all that excitement does get tiring after a while, and the dogs in side B eventually wind down for a brief nap.
    Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
  • At-home blowouts are hard; even when armed with the right tutorials and top-of-the-line tools, all the maneuvering gets tiring quickly.
    Kylee McGuigan, Vogue, 12 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The darkly satirical movie is set on a long-haul flight between England and Australia where the entertainment system fails, and passengers are forced to face the horror of being bored.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 May 2025
  • During a recent cabinet meeting, President Donald Trump’s then national security adviser, Mike Waltz, must have been bored.
    Micah Lee, Wired News, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • For their big milestone, the twins wore dark blue caps and gowns with matching white asymmetrical cocktail dresses underneath, posing for photos with their classmates, friends and family members while holding flowers and their diplomas.
    Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 24 May 2025
  • Boul was literally with his current come up wearing MY jewelry.
    Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • Some of them wanted to dance, some spent time with their families, others just looked exhausted.
    Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 22 May 2025
  • But now, a quieter trend is taking hold in exhausted households nationwide: revenge meals.
    Christine Michel Carter, Parents, 20 May 2025
Adjective
  • Belief that your institution is exempt from the hard, functional and often boring parts of the job leads to a slow decline.
    Carl Anka, New York Times, 22 May 2025
  • Organizations that foster a culture of self-compassion can empower their employees to better navigate stress, maintain their well-being, and - perhaps boring but no less important - adhere to safety protocols.
    Ellen Choi, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • In addition to strong currents, water temperatures are cold following a dip in temperatures earlier this week, which could tire swimmers out even sooner.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
  • Colleen Lanin, who writes the travel blog Colleen Travels Between and has been covering family travel for 16 years, suggests tiring the kids out with exercise before boarding.
    Elaine Glusac, New York Times, 1 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Weary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weary. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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