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tire out

B1 neutral separable transitive

To make someone feel very tired and lacking energy, usually through physical or mental activity.

In plain English

To make someone so tired they have no energy left.

What does "tire out" mean?

2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.

1 B1 idiomatic neutral

To make someone feel very tired or completely drained of energy.

"The long hike tired out even the most experienced members of the group."

separable
2 B1 idiomatic neutral

To become completely exhausted oneself (intransitive/reflexive use).

"The puppies raced around the garden until they tired themselves out."

separable

Literal vs figurative

Words literally mean

To tire someone completely out.

Actually means

To make someone so tired they have no energy left.

Usage tip

Often used in the passive ('I'm tired out'). Very common when talking about children, exercise, or long days. The past participle 'tired out' functions as an adjective meaning completely exhausted.

Words that pair with "tire out"

Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.

children dog exercise journey work swimming

How to conjugate "tire out"

The five tense forms you'll use most often.

Base
tire out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
tires out
he/she/it
Past simple
tired out
yesterday
Past participle
tired out
have + pp
-ing form
tiring out
continuous

Hear "tire out" in the wild

Listen to native speakers using "tire out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.

Keep exploring

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