tiring

tiring — adjective

1. if an activity, experience, or period of time is tiring, it uses up your energy

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

if an activity, experience, or period of time is tiring, it uses up your energy so that you feel you need to rest or stop what you are doing

Example

A long hike in the mountains always makes for a tiring but rewarding day.

attributive: a tiring + noun

The eight-hour shift at the warehouse was so tiring that Kian fell asleep on the bus.

so + tiring + that-clause

Common collocations
  • very tiring
  • extremely tiring
  • physically tiring
  • mentally tiring
  • emotionally tiring
  • a tiring day
  • a tiring journey
  • a tiring experience
  • a tiring job
  • tiring work
Synonyms
  • exhausting

    stronger than tiring — suggests complete loss of energy, not just a need for rest

  • draining

    focuses on gradual depletion of energy, often emotional as well as physical

  • wearing

    less intense than tiring; suggests fatigue that builds up over time

Antonyms
  • refreshing

    restoring energy rather than using it up

  • energizing

    giving you more energy rather than taking it away

Grammar Patterns

tiring + noun

be + tiring

so + tiring + that-clause

it + be + tiring + to-infinitive

Usage Note

Commonly used with intensifiers such as 'very', 'extremely', 'physically', and 'mentally'. The pattern 'it is tiring to + verb' is a frequent structure for describing general situations.

Common Mistakes

After the long walk, I felt very tiring.
After the long walk, I felt very tired.
Use 'tired' for how a person feels; use 'tiring' for the activity that causes the feeling.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four describe experiences that consume your energy, but they differ in intensity and focus. 'Tiring' is the most general and mildest of the group — it simply means the activity makes you want to rest, as in 'a tiring day at the office.' 'Exhausting' is much stronger; it means the experience leaves you with no energy at all, like running a marathon or caring for a sick relative for days. 'Draining' leans toward emotional or mental depletion — a difficult conversation with a friend can be emotionally draining even if you have not moved a muscle. 'Wearing' suggests a slower, cumulative fatigue, like the effect of commuting three hours every day. Use 'tiring' for everyday situations, 'exhausting' for extreme ones, 'draining' for emotional toll, and 'wearing' for long-term gradual fatigue.

tiring ↗exhausting ↗drainingwearing

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'tiring' comes from the verb 'tire', which entered English from Old English 'tēorian', meaning 'to become weary or exhausted.' The suffix '-ing' turns the verb into an adjective that describes something that causes the feeling of tiredness. The adjective form has been in use since the 16th century.