Meaning trap
wear out
make someone exhausted
To make someone very tired, especially after a lot of activity or effort.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To make someone very tired, especially after a lot of activity or effort.
Another meaning of 'wear out' is 'become unusable'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
Looking after three young children all day really wears me out.
Many students say that preparing for exams can wear them out, especially if they don't take enough breaks.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: The kids wear out me.
Say: The kids wear me out.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'wear me out'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Wear out' is the natural verb for being worn down by effort; 'fatigued' is formal.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
wear out + person
- me out
- the kids
- completely
- exhausted
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- wear out (become unusable) — Another meaning of 'wear out' is 'become unusable'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.