fatigue

noun

fa·tigue | \ fə-ˈtēg

Definition of fatigue

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : labor

b : manual or menial work (such as the cleaning up of acamp area) performed by military personnel

c fatigues plural : the uniform or work clothing worn on fatigue and in the field

2a : weariness or exhaustion from labor, exertion, or stress We were overcome by fatigue after the long hike.

b : the temporary loss of power to respond that is induced in a sensory receptor (see receptor sense a) or motor (see motor entry 2 sense 1) end organ by continued stimulation

c : a state or attitude of indifference or apathy brought on by overexposure (as to a repeated series of similar events or appeals) … a super PAC supporting Hillary Clinton launched within days of Barack Obama's 2013 inauguration. Voter fatigue is just one drawback to the long campaigns, though.— Martin Wisckol Most of the Romney voters they visited were fairly chipper, but there is an air of election fatigue in a state where most television commercial breaks are dominated by attack ads and the phone rings off the hook with campaign calls.— Daniel Malloy and Katie Leslie Waning media coverage of a humanitarian crisis is usually a precursor to "donor fatigue," in which assistance from other nations fades. — Christian Science Monitor — see also compassion fatigue

3 : the tendency of a material to break under repeated stress metal fatigue

fatigue

verb

fatigued; fatiguing

Definition of fatigue (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to weary with labor or exertion

2 : to induce a condition of fatigue in

intransitive verb

: to suffer fatigue

fatigue

adjective

Definition of fatigue (Entry 3 of 3)

1 : consisting of, done, or used in fatigue fatigue detail

2 : belonging to fatigues a fatigue cap

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Why are uniforms called fatigues? More Example Sentences Learn More about fatigue

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Choose the Right Synonym for fatigue

Verb

tire, weary, fatigue, exhaust, jade mean to make or become unable or unwilling to continue. tire implies a draining of one's strength or patience. the long ride tired us out weary stresses tiring until one is unable to endure more of the same thing. wearied of the constant arguing fatigue suggests great lassitude from excessive strain or undue effort. fatigued by the day's chores exhaust implies complete draining of strength by hard exertion. shoveling snow exhausted him jade suggests the loss of all freshness and eagerness. appetites jaded by overindulgence

Why are uniforms called fatigues?

Fatigue is a basic part of today’s vocabulary, but, surprisingly, only dates back to the mid-17th century in English. It’s not used even a single time by Shakespeare or in the King James Bible. It came to English from French and ultimately derives from the Latin verb fatigare, meaning “to tire out” or “to exhaust.” An earlier direct borrowing into English from Latin, fatigate, was used in the 1500s before disappearing (it’s now labeled obsolete in our dictionaries). Fatigue entered English first as a noun, then the verb (“the work fatigues me”) and adjective (“a fatigue detail”) came along. The noun was used to mean both “the state of being tired” and “labor,” “effort,” or “trouble”—a sense that seems old-fashioned today. Early uses of fatigue meaning “effort” or “labor” often were in military contexts:

the fatigue of our long march

the fatigues of war

the fatigues of a long journey

they no longer have fatigue without pay

toil and fatigue

These senses led to two military-specific uses of fatigue. First, it came to mean “manual or menial work performed by military personnel,” and then, consequently, “the uniform or work clothing worn on fatigue detail and in the field.” This is how fatigues came to mean “uniform” in the military. When your job seems to be all work and no play, even your clothes are tired.

Examples of fatigue in a Sentence

Noun

We were overcome by fatigue after the long journey. The drug's side effects include headache and fatigue. soldiers wearing combat boots and fatigues The cracks in the engine were caused by metal fatigue.

Verb

the rescue workers pressed on, though their efforts to reach the miners had almost completely fatigued them

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Many people also had nausea, vomiting and other gastrointestinal issues, plus general fatigue. — Erin Allday, SFChronicle.com, "Lung disease tied to vaping has killed 4, officials say, including 1 in L.A.," 6 Sep. 2019 The home team’s fatigue quickly turned into a dugout walk marathon for Angels manager Brad Ausmus. — Shayna Rubin, The Mercury News, "Takeaways: Athletics’ seven-run seventh prompts comeback win over Angels," 5 Sep. 2019 Johnson had been pinning his hopes on public fatigue with Brexit. — Billy Perrigo, Time, "Why Boris Johnson Lost His Bid for a New Election Before Brexit," 4 Sep. 2019 There also are low-cost ways for employers also to help workers combat their fatigue. — Michelle Cheng, Quartz at Work, "These millennials were so burned out, they’re building a startup to combat burnout," 3 Sep. 2019 However, don't let wallet fatigue deter you from taking advantage of yet another great beauty sale happening this weekend: Macy's Ultimate Beauty Shop Event. — Karina Hoshikawa, refinery29.com, "Macy's Is Having A One-Day Beauty Sale And Everything Is 15% Off," 24 Aug. 2019 It was first designed and deployed from San Francisco a few months ago, but that system broke because of fatigue. — Mary Anne Potts, National Geographic, "This is what it's like to swim through the Great Pacific Garbage Patch," 20 Aug. 2019 Essentially a tiny, highly sensitive pressure monitor, Activ5 isolates and fatigues muscles by challenging you to squeeze it, with variable control, over an extended period. — Zachary Lewis, cleveland.com, "Activ5 device packs big punch as ‘tiny gym in your pocket’: Stretching Out," 1 Aug. 2019 For the sake of avoiding weeknight dinner fatigue, it’s time to introduce some variety. — Emma Wartzman, Bon Appétit, "Can You Actually Swap Fish In a Recipe?," 1 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

All are excellent and important, but Francine and I worried that readers were fatigued by the coverage of an issue that seemed so intractable. — Los Angeles Times, "Newsletter: Behind the scenes on a yearlong homelessness reporting project," 15 Aug. 2019 Swinney’s been busy this week, questioning the SEC’s depth and the idea that the Tide was fatigued at the end of last season when Clemson dismantled Alabama 44-16. — Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, "Clemson’s Dabo Swinney jokes Alabama’s Nick Saban ’ain’t ever going to

fatigue

Definition of fatigue

Synonyms & Antonyms for fatigue

Choose the Right Synonym for fatigue

Why are uniforms called fatigues?

Examples of fatigue in a Sentence

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