tired

tired — adjective

1. feeling a need for rest or sleep after your body or mind has been working hard f

1.adjectiveA1
Definition

feeling a need for rest or sleep after your body or mind has been working hard for a period of time.

Example

After walking ten kilometres, Élise felt too tired to cook dinner.

tired + too [adj] to [verb]

The night-shift nurse looked tired after twelve hours on her feet.

looked / felt / seemed tired

Common collocations
  • tired from
  • tired after
  • look tired
  • feel tired
  • so tired
  • too tired to
  • get tired
  • dead tired
Synonyms
  • exhausted

    much stronger — almost no energy left at all

  • weary

    more literary; often suggests long-lasting tiredness of body or mind

  • worn out

    informal; completely tired from hard work or use

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

tired + (from/after) + noun/verb-ing

Usage Note

Commonly used with 'from' to state the cause ('tired from walking') and 'after' to state timing ('tired after work'). The intensifier 'so' is frequent in spoken English: 'I'm so tired I can't think straight.'

Common Mistakes

I am tired of work today.
I am tired from work today.
'tired of' means bored/fed up, not physically needing rest.
She was very tired after the long flight.' (correct grammar, but note)
Fine
just ensure context clarifies physical vs emotional tiredness.

2. used to describe a joke, story, idea, or expression that is no longer interestin

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

used to describe a joke, story, idea, or expression that is no longer interesting or effective because it has been repeated too many times.

Example

The audience groaned at another tired joke about airline food.

tired joke / tired phrase / tired expression

Adina argued that the 'starving artist' stereotype had become a tired cliché.

Common collocations
  • tired joke
  • tired phrase
  • tired cliché
  • tired idea
  • tired argument
  • tired expression
Synonyms
  • clichéd

    more specific to phrases or situations that have been overused in storytelling

  • hackneyed

    formal; describes language or ideas that have lost originality through overuse

  • stale

    suggests loss of freshness; can apply to news, relationships, or products

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

tired + noun (joke/idea/expression/phrase)

Usage Note

This sense almost always appears before a noun (attributive position). It is common in opinion writing, reviews, and critical commentary about media, politics, or advertising.

Common Mistakes

That joke is tired of.
That joke is tired.' or 'That is a tired joke.
'tired of' belongs to sense 3/4; do not add 'of' here.

3. no longer interested in or willing to continue doing something because you have

3.adjectiveB1
Definition

no longer interested in or willing to continue doing something because you have done it too much or it is not new anymore.

Example

After three years of the same routine, Eri grew tired of working in an office.

grew/became/got tired of + verb-ing

Sofia is tired of hearing the same pop songs on the radio every morning.

tired of + hearing/seeing/doing

Common collocations
  • tired of waiting
  • tired of hearing
  • tired of doing
  • get tired of
  • grow tired of
  • become tired of
Synonyms
  • bored with

    similar meaning but less specific about the 'done too much' aspect; more neutral

  • sick of

    informal and stronger; implies irritation

  • weary of

    more formal and literary; suggests a long, wearying experience

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

tired of + noun / verb-ing

Usage Note

This sense always takes the complement 'of' + noun or gerund (verb-ing). It describes a gradual emotional state rather than a sudden reaction. The pattern 'get / grow / become tired of' is very common.

Common Mistakes

I am tired from waiting.' (when meaning bored)
I am tired of waiting.
'tired from' = physically tired because of waiting; 'tired of' = bored/impatient with waiting.

4. feeling angry or unhappy with someone or a situation because their behaviour or

4.adjectiveB2
Definition

feeling angry or unhappy with someone or a situation because their behaviour or the situation has continued for too long and you want it to stop.

Example

Christopher is tired of his neighbour playing loud music after midnight every weekend.

The residents got tired of the city's slow response to their safety concerns.

got/became tired of + noun phrase (with negative emotion)

Common collocations
  • tired of excuses
  • tired of complaints
  • tired of waiting
  • tired of being treated
  • grow tired of
  • get tired of
  • heartily tired of
Synonyms
  • fed up with

    informal; equally strong, very common in British and American speech

  • annoyed at

    focuses on the irritation itself rather than duration

  • exasperated with

    stronger; suggests all patience is gone

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

tired of + noun/verb-ing (with annoyed/unhappy connotation)

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 3: sense 3 describes general boredom or loss of interest, while sense 4 includes active annoyance or anger directed at someone's behaviour. The context often includes a specific grievance. Common in complaints and confrontational situations.

Common Mistakes

I am tired for his behaviour.
I am tired of his behaviour.
always 'tired of', never 'tired for' or 'tired with'.
I am tired from my boss's constant complaints.' (if meaning annoyed)
I am tired of my boss's constant complaints.
'tired from' only describes physical/mental exhaustion.
Idioms

tired out

idiom

extremely tired, to the point of having no energy left.

After moving furniture all afternoon, Eitan was completely tired out.

The puppy tired itself out chasing the ball around the garden.

dead tired

idiom

completely exhausted; used informally for emphasis.

Charlotte was dead tired after the ten-hour flight from Taipei to London.

By the end of the exam week, everyone in the class was dead tired.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These words describe different levels and types of tiredness. 'Tired' is the general-purpose word for needing rest. 'Exhausted' describes a much stronger state where you have almost no energy left, as after running a marathon. 'Weary' is more literary and often includes a mental or emotional dimension — you can be weary of a long war or a difficult journey. 'Fatigued' is more clinical or technical; doctors use it to describe a symptom, and soldiers report combat fatigue. 'Worn out' is an informal phrasal adjective that suggests something has drained your energy completely over time, like a tool that has been used too much. For everyday conversation, 'tired' and 'exhausted' cover most situations. Use 'worn out' with friends, and 'weary' when you want a more serious or emotional tone. For example: 'After the hike I was tired but happy.' 'The nurses were exhausted after the emergency shift.' 'She grew weary of the endless paperwork.'

exhausted ↗weary ↗fatiguedworn out

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Tired' comes from the Old English 'tēorian', meaning 'to fail, cease, or become weary'. It is related to the Old High German 'zerōn' (to tear) and the idea of being 'worn out'. By the 14th century it was used in its modern sense of feeling exhausted after effort. The meaning 'bored or fed up' (as in 'tired of') developed in the 16th century, and the attributive sense ('a tired joke') appeared in the 19th century.