tire

1 of 4

verb (1)

tired; tiring

intransitive verb

: to become weary

transitive verb

1
: to exhaust or greatly decrease the physical strength of : fatigue
2
: to wear out the patience of : bore

tire

2 of 4

noun (1)

often attributive
1
: a rubber cushion that fits around a wheel (as of an automobile) and usually contains compressed air
2
: a metal hoop forming the tread of a wheel

tire

3 of 4

noun (2)

1
obsolete : attire
2
archaic : a woman's headband or hair ornament

tire

4 of 4

verb (2)

tired; tiring

transitive verb

1
obsolete : attire
2
archaic : to adorn (the hair) with an ornament
Choose the Right Synonym for tire

tire, weary, fatigue, exhaust, jade mean to make or become unable or unwilling to continue.

tire implies a draining of one's strength or patience.

the long ride tired us out

weary stresses tiring until one is unable to endure more of the same thing.

wearied of the constant arguing

fatigue suggests great lassitude from excessive strain or undue effort.

fatigued by the day's chores

exhaust implies complete draining of strength by hard exertion.

shoveling snow exhausted him

jade suggests the loss of all freshness and eagerness.

appetites jaded by overindulgence

Examples of tire in a Sentence

Verb (1) I don't want our walk to tire you too much this long dry lecture will tire the audience if you don't insert some jokes into it this pentathlon will tire all but the hardiest athletes
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
With Ortiz in the mix that’s sufficient ammo in a large field, especially if the prospect of a duel between the top two horses winds up tiring those two out. Guy Martin, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024 The long, frustrating phone call had tired my mother out. Yukio Mishima, The New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2024
Noun
Workers simply putting the final screws into a passenger car whose seats, tires, engine, and other subassemblies come from abroad, for example, likely may not count. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024 The Mexican Grand Prix had been the most boring race on the calendar for years—a procession of tire preservation with little-to-no overtaking or risk taking. Rob Reed, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tire 

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English tyren, from Old English tēorian, tȳrian

Noun (1)

Middle English, probably from tire entry 3

Noun (2)

Middle English, short for attire

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tire was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near tire

Cite this Entry

“Tire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tire. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

tire

1 of 2 verb
tired; tiring
1
: to become weary
2
: to decrease greatly or completely the physical strength of
3
: to wear out the patience or attention of : bore

tire

2 of 2 noun
1
: a metal hoop that forms the tread of a wheel
2
: a rubber cushion that usually contains compressed air and fits around a wheel
automobile tires

Medical Definition

tire

verb
tired; tiring

intransitive verb

: to become weary

transitive verb

: to exhaust or greatly decrease the physical strength of : fatigue

More from Merriam-Webster on tire

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