Meaning & use
tiring
Last updated
UK/ˈtaɪərɪŋ/
US/ˈtaɪrɪŋ/
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Making you feel in need of rest.
Grammar: Describes the cause, not the person: a tiring trip, not 'I am tiring'.
Patterns
- tiring for someone
- a tiring day
It was a long and tiring journey.
Caring for twins is tiring.
The meeting was tiring for everyone.
adjectivecomparablefigurative
Boring or annoying after a time.
Grammar: Figurative, about repeated behavior.
Patterns
- tiring to listen to
His constant complaints are tiring.
It gets tiring to explain again.
The argument became tiring.
Word forms
| comparative | more tiring |
|---|---|
| superlative | most tiring |
Common combinations
- tiring day
- It was a tiring day.
- physically tiring
- The work is physically tiring.
- mentally tiring
- Translating is mentally tiring.
- tiring journey
- A tiring journey home.
Synonyms and how they differ
- exhausting
- Exhausting is stronger and means draining all energy.
- wearying
- Wearying is formal and suggests long strain.
- draining
- Draining stresses using up energy emotionally.
- strenuous
- Strenuous describes activities needing great effort.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: tiring or tired?
tiring vs tired
Tired describes how you feel; tiring describes what causes it.
Practice
Which sentence is correct?
Choose one answer.
Tiring describes what causes weariness. Tired describes the person.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tiring”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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