Phrase guide

wear down

verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To cause (someone) physical or mental fatigue.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The eight hour shift in the mine began to wear Tim down after a few months.
  • (sports) To make the opponent tired after using a strategy while conserving own energy to attack later.
  • He tried to wear down the bowlers before lunch so he could attack the bowlers after lunch.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To eventually persuade or defeat (someone) through persistent effort.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • At first she refused to buy the kids sweets, but eventually they wore her down.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see wear, down.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • We wore ourselves out on this hike

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tire, wear upon, tire out, wear, weary, jade, wear out, outwear, fag out, fag, fatigue

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: indispose

Narrower terms: exhaust, wash up, beat, tucker, tucker out, overtire, overweary, overfatigue

5

verb

Meaning 5

deteriorate through use or stress

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The constant friction wore out the cloth

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: wear, wear off, wear out, wear thin

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: deteriorate

Narrower terms: ablate, scuff

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

13 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 使疲勞 /使疲劳 (shǐ píláo) — to cause physical or mental fatigue
  • Chinese Mandarin: 使厭煩 /使厌烦 (shǐ yànfán) — to cause physical or mental fatigue
  • Dutch: verslijten — to cause physical or mental fatigue
  • Finnish: rasittaa — to cause physical or mental fatigue
  • French: fatiguer — to cause physical or mental fatigue
  • German: verschleißen — to cause physical or mental fatigue
  • Latin: fatīgō — to cause physical or mental fatigue
  • Portuguese: gastar — to cause physical or mental fatigue
  • Russian: изма́тывать (izmátyvatʹ) — to cause physical or mental fatigue
  • Russian: измота́ть (izmotátʹ) — to cause physical or mental fatigue
  • Russian: утомля́ть (utomljátʹ) — to cause physical or mental fatigue
  • Russian: утоми́ть (utomítʹ) — to cause physical or mental fatigue
  • Spanish: desgastar — to cause physical or mental fatigue