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wear out — 2 meanings

One phrase, 2 meanings. Learn them one at a time, then test yourself.

phrasal verb2 meanings
wear out
1become unusable2make someone exhausted

Meaning 1 · most common

become unusable

  • wear out sth

To become damaged or too old to use, usually because of frequent use over time.

How oftenCommon
LevelB1
Used inSpeech & writing

Examples

My running shoes wore out after a year of daily use.

A: Why did you buy new jeans?
B: My old ones finally wore out.

Common mistake

Not: My shoes are wore out.

Say: My shoes are worn out.

Past participle is 'worn out', not 'wore out'.

More on “become unusable”Another example · Tell it apart · Goes with · Tip

Another example

If you use cheap headphones every day, they tend to wear out quickly and need replacing.

Tell it apart

My boots wore out.

  • became unusable

The boots wore me out.

  • exhausted me — sense

Goes with

  • wear out + thing
Practice saying this
Next meaning: make someone exhausted

Meaning 2

make someone exhausted

  • wear out sb

To make someone very tired, especially after a lot of activity or effort.

How oftenCommon
LevelB2
Used inMostly spoken

Examples

Looking after three young children all day really wears me out.

A: You look exhausted!
B: Yeah, work has completely worn me out this week.

Common mistake

Not: The kids wear out me.

Say: The kids wear me out.

With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'wear me out'.

More on “make someone exhausted”Another example · Tell it apart · Goes with · Tip

Another example

Many students say that preparing for exams can wear them out, especially if they don't take enough breaks.

Tell it apart

The kids wore me out.

  • exhausted me

The carpet wore out.

  • became unusable — sense

Goes with

  • wear out + person
Practice saying this
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become unusablemake someone exhausted