fatigue

fatigue — noun

1. a feeling of great physical or mental tiredness that usually comes from hard wor

1.nounB1
Definition

a feeling of great physical or mental tiredness that usually comes from hard work, exercise, or long periods without enough rest

Example

After hiking up the mountain for six hours, Darius felt deep fatigue in his legs.

fatigue after physical exertion

Jisoo's doctor said the fatigue she felt might be caused by not sleeping enough.

fatigue as a medical symptom

Common collocations
  • feel fatigue
  • suffer from fatigue
  • cause fatigue
  • reduce fatigue
  • mental fatigue
  • physical fatigue
  • chronic fatigue
Synonyms
  • exhaustion

    stronger than fatigue; suggests complete loss of energy

  • tiredness

    more common in everyday speech; less clinical than fatigue

  • weariness

    slightly more formal; often suggests a long, gradual build-up of tiredness

  • lethargy

    emphasises lack of energy or motivation rather than tiredness from effort

Antonyms

Usage Note

Uncountable only for this sense. The plural form 'fatigues' belongs to the military uniform sense (noun/3).

Common Mistakes

I have a strong fatigue today.
I feel very fatigued today.
'fatigue' is uncountable; use 'feel fatigued' or 'suffer from fatigue' instead of 'a fatigue'.

2. weakness or damage that develops in a material like metal, plastic, or wood afte

2.nounB2
Definition

weakness or damage that develops in a material like metal, plastic, or wood after it has been bent, stretched, or stressed many times over a long period

Example

Justin inspected the bridge supports and found cracks caused by metal fatigue.

metal fatigue — structural failure risk

Engineers check aircraft wings regularly for any signs of material fatigue.

fatigue inspection in aviation

Common collocations
  • metal fatigue
  • material fatigue
  • fatigue crack
  • fatigue failure
  • fatigue test
  • signs of fatigue
Synonyms
  • metal fatigue

    the most common specific form; sometimes used generally for any material

  • structural fatigue

    specifically about load-bearing parts of buildings, vehicles, or machines

Usage Note

Most commonly appears in the compound 'metal fatigue' in engineering and safety contexts. Can apply to other materials but the metal case is by far the most frequent.

3. a loose, comfortable uniform that soldiers wear for everyday work, training, or

3.nounC1
Definition

a loose, comfortable uniform that soldiers wear for everyday work, training, or field duties instead of formal dress

Example

The soldiers changed into their fatigues before starting the morning cleanup duty.

fatigues as everyday work uniform

Nkechi noticed everyone at the training camp wore green fatigues with the same patches.

Common collocations
  • wear fatigues
  • change into fatigues
  • green fatigues
  • army fatigues
  • fatigue uniform
  • fatigue jacket
Synonyms
  • battledress

    more formal term for combat uniform; less common in everyday military speech

  • work uniform

    broader term that includes non-military work clothing

  • field uniform

    specifically for outdoor or combat training, not base duties

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

plural: fatigues

Usage Note

Always used in the plural form 'fatigues' when referring to the clothing itself. Can also appear attributively as 'fatigue uniform' or 'fatigue jacket' (see adjective/2).

Common Mistakes

He wore a fatigue.
He wore fatigues.
when referring to the clothing, always use the plural form.

4. simple physical tasks such as cleaning, cooking, or digging that soldiers must d

4.nounC1
Definition

simple physical tasks such as cleaning, cooking, or digging that soldiers must do as part of their daily routine, sometimes assigned as a punishment

Example

The new recruits were assigned kitchen fatigue for a week as part of their training.

kitchen fatigue — assigned chore

Mayumi complained about guard fatigue, but the sergeant said everyone had to take turns.

guard fatigue — rotating watch duty

Common collocations
  • kitchen fatigue
  • guard fatigue
  • fatigue duty
  • assign fatigue
  • do fatigue
Synonyms
  • fatigue duty

    the standard compound form used in military manuals

  • menial work

    broader, non-military term for low-status manual tasks

  • chores

    everyday domestic equivalent, not specific to military

Usage Note

Often paired with a noun describing the type of work: 'kitchen fatigue', 'guard fatigue', 'latrine fatigue'. When followed by 'duty' (fatigue duty), it functions as a compound noun for the general concept.

5. a feeling of losing interest or becoming emotionally drained because you have be

5.nounB2
Definition

a feeling of losing interest or becoming emotionally drained because you have been exposed to the same thing too many times or for too long

Example

After watching the same commercials every hour, Ingrid felt serious viewer fatigue.

viewer fatigue — media overexposure

Compassion fatigue can affect nurses who care for suffering patients day after day.

compassion fatigue — common in care professions

Common collocations
  • compassion fatigue
  • battle fatigue
  • viewer fatigue
  • decision fatigue
  • suffer from fatigue
  • fatigue with something
Synonyms
  • apathy

    stronger emotional detachment; less about tiredness and more about not caring

  • burnout

    chronic fatigue from overwork; usually longer-term and more severe

  • boredom

    lighter than fatigue; can be temporary and situational

Antonyms

Usage Note

Very common in compound nouns like 'compassion fatigue', 'battle fatigue', 'viewer fatigue', and 'decision fatigue'. The compound always names the source of the overexposure.

Common Mistakes

I have a fatigue of watching TV.
I have TV fatigue.
the compound form (X fatigue) is standard, not 'fatigue of X'.

fatigue — verb

fatigue — adjective

Word family

  • fatigued
    adjectiveB1
  • fatiguing
    adjectiveB2
  • fatigues
    nounC1
  • indefatigable
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe a lack of energy, but they differ in intensity, origin, and register. 'Tiredness' is the most general and everyday term — you can feel tired after a long day at work or a poor night's sleep. 'Fatigue' is more formal and often suggests a deeper, more persistent physical or mental drain, such as from illness, overwork, or prolonged exertion. 'Exhaustion' is the strongest of the group, implying that the person has used up nearly all their energy reserves and can no longer function normally. 'Weariness' overlaps with fatigue but carries an emotional or spiritual dimension — you can be weary of a long war or weary of making the same argument. 'Lethargy' differs from the others in that it describes a state of sluggishness and low motivation rather than tiredness from exertion; a person can feel lethargic from boredom or illness without having done any physical work. For everyday conversation, 'tiredness' or 'being tired' is most natural. In medical or professional writing, 'fatigue' and 'exhaustion' are preferred.

tiredness ↗exhaustionwearinesslethargy ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • signs of fatigue
  • suffer from fatigue
  • a state of fatigue
  • symptoms of fatigue

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Fatigue entered English from French in the 1600s, where it meant 'tiredness' or 'weariness'. The French word came from the Latin verb 'fatigare', meaning 'to tire out' or 'to weary'. The military senses — both the uniform and the chores — developed in the 1700s, probably because soldiers performing manual labour became tired and wore their oldest, most comfortable clothing for such duties.