wear out

verb

wore out; worn out; wearing out; wears out

transitive verb

1
2
: to make useless especially by long or hard usage
3
4
: to endure through : outlast
wear out a storm
5
: to consume (time) tediously
wear out idle days

intransitive verb

: to become useless from long or excessive wear or use

Examples of wear out in a Sentence

keeping up with twin toddlers wears me out
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.
In the postseason, a setting where the common thinking is that teams slow down, the blue and gold kept their speed and wore out opponents. Tony East, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024 Because of the soft cotton material, the leggings are better for lounging and wearing out than for exercising. Quincy Bulin, Parents, 16 Oct. 2024 Take Hailey Bieber in her boxy Saint Laurent suit, worn out in L.A. with friends. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2024 But that hopeful news—and the constant drumbeat of election developments—seems to have drowned out another important, yet more sobering, trend: Consumers as a group are worn out by inflation and all the other financial disruptions triggered by the COVID pandemic. Greg Petro, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wear out 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wear out was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Wear out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wear%20out. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

wear out

verb
1
: to tire gradually
worn out from exercising
2
: to make or become useless by wear

More from Merriam-Webster on wear out

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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