What does aweary mean?
Aweary is an adjective meaning tired or weary, functioning as a literary and somewhat archaic variant of the ordinary word 'weary'. It appears most often in poetry and older prose — Shakespeare uses it in works such as 'Two Gentlemen of Verona' ('A wretched soul, bruised with adversity... bids thee... be aweary') — and it survives today only in deliberately poetic or antiquarian writing. Because it begins with the prefix 'a-', a common feature of Middle and Early Modern English adjectives (compare 'asleep' and 'aflame'), it carries an old-fashioned flavour that writers exploit for atmosphere or period effect. For general readers, 'aweary' is best understood as a decorative synonym of 'weary': useful when quoting classic literature or writing verse, but out of place in ordinary conversation, where 'weary', 'tired', or 'exhausted' are the natural choices.
adjectiveWeary; tired. An archaic or literary variant of 'weary', used chiefly in poetry and older prose.
- Tired; weary (archaic/literary)
"The aweary traveller sank onto the bench as the sun went down."
"The aweary knight dismounted and rested beneath the oak."
"Long hours of travel left her utterly aweary."
Shakespeare reached for 'aweary' when plain 'tired' wouldn't do — it's the poetic cousin of weary that has all but vanished from modern speech.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of aweary
Aweary derives from Middle English, formed from the adjective 'weary' (from Old English 'werig') combined with the prefix 'a-', an intensive or predicative marker common in Middle English. It was well established by the Early Modern period, appearing in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century literature including Shakespeare. The underlying root traces back through Old English 'werig' to Proto-Germanic origins shared with other Germanic languages.
How aweary is actually used
Largely confined to literary, poetic, or deliberately archaising register; in everyday modern English 'weary' is the standard form.
Easily confused with aweary
'Awry' means crooked or amiss, while 'aweary' means tired or weary.