tired

1 of 2

adjective

ˈtī(-ə)rd How to pronounce tired (audio)
Synonyms of tired
1
: drained of strength and energy : fatigued often to the point of exhaustion
2
: obviously worn by hard use : run-down
3
: trite, hackneyed entry 1
tiredly adverb
tiredness noun

tired

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of tire entry 1, tire entry 4

Synonyms of tired

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of tired in a Sentence

Adjective I was really tired after the long trip. She's too tired to go out tonight. The children were tired after the hike. We had to listen to the same old tired excuses again.
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.
Adjective
Neither quarterback is known for mobility anymore, so the Falcons were kind of Minnesota South – bad on third down (30th) with a defense that tired against the run (24th). — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 As anywhere in the United States, crashes are more commonplace during rush hour; there are simply more drivers on the road, and many are tired. — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 At some point on the short route to his school, Grant — apparently tired from a day of classes and extracurriculars — drifted off behind the wheel of his car and went over the yellow line and into oncoming traffic. — Susan Young, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026 If viewers tired of the lack of competition, players tired of the honor losing its meaning. — Jonathan Jones, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tired

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Phrases Containing tired

Rhymes for tired

See All Rhymes for tired

Browse Nearby Words

tire chain
tired
tiredly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tired.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tired. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

tired

1 of 2 adjective
ˈtī(ə)rd
1
: weary entry 1 sense 1
2
: used over and over again
the same tired old excuse
tiredly adverb
tiredness noun

tired

2 of 2 adjective
: having tires

Medical Definition

tired

adjective
ˈtī(ə)rd How to pronounce tired (audio)
: drained of strength and energy : fatigued often to the point of exhaustion
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All