What does wearisome mean?
Wearisome is an adjective meaning tiresome, tedious, or irritatingly monotonous. It is especially appropriate for something that causes fatigue or frustration because it persists too long, changes too little, or demands repetitive effort. A wearisome lecture may contain little beyond the speaker's voice, while a wearisome journey combines distance with an unchanging landscape; a delay can also become wearisome. The word has a formal to literary quality and often conveys stronger disapproval than a simple description of something as boring. Its meaning is close to tedious, tiresome, monotonous, and irksome, but it frequently implies a cumulative effect on the listener or participant. Although now encountered primarily as an adjective, it belongs to a wider English word family built around wear and weariness. Its distinctive ending gives the word a slightly old-fashioned tone that suits descriptions of prolonged or unyielding tedium.
adjectiveCausing weariness, especially through monotony, repetition, or prolonged effort; tiresome. It often suggests that something is tedious enough to exhaust the patience of the person experiencing it.
- Tiresome or tediously monotonous, especially because it involves repetition, delay, or sustained effort.
"The committee's wearisome negotiations delayed the project by several weeks."
"The film was a wearisome succession of interviews and statistics."
"After several hours of wearisome discussion, the chair asked everyone to submit written proposals."
Wearisome wears out your patience: it describes anything tedious enough to leave you feeling weary.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does wearisome come from?
Wearisome was formed in English by adding the adjective-forming suffix -some to the older word weary. The suffix creates a sense of being characterized by the quality named by its base, in this case 'full of weariness' or 'causing weariness.' The shared root survives in wear, weary, and weariness, while the modern adjective became established during the early modern period.
How wearisome is actually used
The word has a formal to literary tone and is generally somewhat stronger and more emphatic than boring. It is commonly used for people, acts, proceedings, journeys, tasks, or delays that become tedious through repetition or duration.
Easily confused with wearisome
Wearisome means tedious or exhausting to experience, whereas weary means tired or worn out.