Meaning & use
wearily
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Meanings
adverbnot comparable
In a way that shows you are very tired, either in body or in spirit.
Grammar: Modifies a verb: she sighed wearily.
Patterns
- sigh wearily
- smile wearily
- nod wearily
He sat down wearily after the long hike.
She rubbed her eyes wearily and closed the laptop.
The nurse smiled wearily at the end of the double shift.
adverbnot comparable
In a way that shows you are tired of something, bored or resigned because it has happened too often.
Grammar: Suggests emotional fatigue: he shrugged wearily.
Patterns
- say something wearily
- explain wearily
The teacher explained the rule wearily for the tenth time.
'Not again,' he said wearily.
The mother shrugged wearily as the argument began again.
Word forms
| comparative | more wearily |
|---|---|
| superlative | most wearily |
Common combinations
- sigh wearily
- He sighed wearily and picked up the pen.
- smile wearily
- She smiled wearily at the waiting crowd.
- trudge wearily
- They trudged wearily up the hill.
- nod wearily
- The manager nodded wearily and left the meeting.
- say wearily
- 'Fine,' she said wearily.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tiredly
- Tiredly is the plain, direct word and says nothing about boredom or resignation.
- listlessly
- Listlessly suggests a lack of energy or interest rather than tiredness after effort.
- drowsily
- Drowsily means in a sleepy way, while wearily means worn out.
- languidly
- Languidly implies slow, relaxed movement and need not involve exhaustion.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: wearily or warily?
wearily vs warily
Warily means carefully, with suspicion of danger. Wearily means in a tired way.
Practice
After the double shift, the nurse sat down ____.
Choose one answer.
Wearily describes the tired manner of sitting. Warily means cautiously, and eagerly and briskly suggest energy, which does not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wearily”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.