WEAR OUT Definition & Meaning

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wear out

[ wair out ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb phrase

to make or become unfit or useless through hard or extended use, exposure to sunlight or hard water, etc.:
Our daughter always wore out her play clothes before she outgrew them.
to exhaust, as by continued strain; weary:
Your endless bickering is wearing me out.
The people’s patience was being worn out by this tedious uncertainty and long waiting.
Synonyms: , ,
to deprive of meaning or effect by frequent repetition:
That excuse was worn out long ago—I’m tired of hearing it.
We’re going to wear out the words “amazing” and “incredible” if we keep overusing them.
to consume or remove, or be consumed or removed, especially slowly or gradually:
Avoid placing the pavement painting where heavy foot traffic will wear out the paint faster.

noun

the act or fact of wearing out or being worn out; a worn-out condition:
I’ve had these pants for 20 years, and they’re only now showing some wear-out at the knees.

wear out

verb

to make or become unfit or useless through wear
tr to exhaust or tire

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of wear out¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; noun use of verb phrase wear out

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Idioms and Phrases

wear out one's welcome. welcome ( def 10 ).

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Roads, schools and parks will wear out and need to be repaired, replaced or updated.

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"But you see them wearing out and thinning in front of you - malnourished children. You see mothers who are trying to breastfeed, and there is nothing coming out of their breast," she said.

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On Sundays, the best thing to do is have an activity that both gives us something new and wears out the kids.

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“It gets everywhere, wears out all sorts of mechanisms,” says Mr White.

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There was always a giant secondhand couch, and whenever it wore out someone would drag in a new one.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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