wear out
See also: wearout
English
Verb
wear out (third-person singular simple present wears out, present participle wearing out, simple past wore out, past participle worn out)
- To cause (something) to become damaged, useless, or ineffective through continued use, especially hard, heavy, or careless use.
- You're going to wear out that game if you keep playing so rough with it.
- He wears a pair of tennis shoes out every summer.
- 1877, Anna Sewell, Black Beauty: […], London: Jarrold and Sons, […], OCLC 228733457:
- "You never take the trouble to see if he will go without it; your whip is always going as if you had the St. Vitus' dance in your arm, and if it does not wear you out it wears your horse out; you know you are always changing your horses; and why? Because you never give them any peace or encouragement."
- (intransitive) To deteriorate or become unusable or ineffective due to continued use, exposure, or strain.
- The old tractor finally wore out.
- My shoes wear out quickly now that I walk to work.
- 1942 September and October, “Notes and News: The Stanmore Branch”, in Railway Magazine, page 311:
- Mr. Simpson adds that the station at Stanmore appears practically unchanged from the time of its opening, even to the L.N.W.R. rubber doormat, which "shows no signs of wearing out."
- To exhaust; to cause or contribute to another's exhaustion, fatigue, or weariness, as by continued strain or exertion.
- You kids are wearing me out!
- Trying to keep up with politics wears me out.
- Our physical advantage allowed us to wear the other team out and win.
- (intransitive) To become exhausted, tired, fatigued, or weary, as by continued strain or exertion.
- I'm wearing out, guys. Time to go to sleep.
- 2021 December 29, Stephen Roberts, “Stories and facts behind railway plaques: Lancaster (1860)”, in RAIL, number 947, page 58:
- They built our railways, but they wore themselves out in the process.
- Of apparel, to display in public.
- Those sweatpants are great for loafing around the house, but they're not meant to be worn out.
- Of a shirt, to not tuck into the pants; to wear in a casual manner.
- A dress shirt should be tucked in, but a t-shirt can be worn out.
- (chiefly Southern US) To punish by spanking.
Synonyms
- outwear
- See also Thesaurus:fatigue
Derived terms
- wear out one's welcome
Translations
to cause to become damaged, useless, or ineffective through continued use
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to deteriorate or become unusable or ineffective due to continued use, exposure, or strain
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to exhaust; to cause or contribute to another's exhaustion, fatigue, or weariness
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to become exhausted, tired, fatigued, or weary
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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See also
- worn-out, worn out (as adjective)
- outworn
- wear away
- wear down
- wear off
- wear thin
Further reading
- wear in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- wear out at OneLook Dictionary Search
wear on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Anagrams
- outwear