tired

/ˈtaɪɚd/
needing rest or sleep

I'm so tired after work that I just want to sleep.

The speaker feels exhausted from working and wants to rest.


neutral

In need of sleep or rest; fatigued.

She felt tired after the long hike.

The physical exertion of hiking made her feel exhausted.

The tired parents finally fell asleep at midnight.

The parents, who were exhausted from caring for their baby, managed to sleep.

Can describe physical or mental fatigue. Often used with 'from' to specify the cause (e.g., 'tired from studying').

neutral

Less enthusiastic or effective due to overuse or repetition.

The joke was so old it made the audience tired.

The repeated joke lost its humor due to overuse.

Commonly used to describe things like jokes, arguments, or routines that have lost their impact.

Collocations

tired outextremely exhaustedtired ofbored or annoyed by something repetitivedead tiredvery exhaustedtoo tired toso exhausted that one cannot do something

Related Phrases

tired and emotionalphrase
drunk and behaving inappropriately
tired eyesphrase
eyes that feel strained or sore

Pro Tip

Common Mistakes

Avoid using 'tired' to describe objects (e.g., 'a tired chair' is incorrect). Use 'worn out' or 'old' instead.

Gold Rule

Collocation Rule

Use 'tired of' to express boredom or annoyance (e.g., 'I'm tired of this weather'). Use 'tired from' to describe the cause of fatigue (e.g., 'tired from running').

Word Origin

From Middle English 'tired', past participle of 'tire' (to become weary), from Old English 'tēorian' (to fail, become weak). Related to Old Norse 'þreyta' (to weary).

Usage Notes

Commonly used in everyday speech. Can be intensified with adverbs like 'very', 'extremely', or 'completely'. Avoid using 'tired' to describe objects (e.g., not 'a tired book').

Word Breakdown

tire
to become weary
root
+
-ed
past participle suffix
suffix
English Dictionary