Meaning & use
fatigue
Extreme tiredness resulting from physical or mental exertion, illness, or lack of sleep.
See it in a sentence
After the marathon, overwhelming fatigue kept him on the couch for the rest of the day.
Years of night shifts left the nurse struggling with chronic fatigue and poor concentration.
A note on using this word
In engineering, fatigue describes the weakening of a material from repeated stress, not just human tiredness.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. noun
The gradual weakening or cracking of a material caused by repeated or fluctuating stress.
Metal fatigue in the aircraft's wing was eventually blamed for the small crack found during inspection.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fatigue”, then compare your use with the examples above.