What Does Wear Out Mean?
Wear out has two main meanings. It can mean to make something useless through use, and it can mean to make someone very tired. There is also a useful idiom, wear out your welcome, which means to stay so long that people no longer want you there.
These trainers will wear out after a year of running.
The long hike wore us out.
The first means something stops working well. The second means a person has no energy left.
🗣️ Natural Examples
My old jumper has worn out at the elbows.
The tyres are worn out, so we need new ones.
The little ones wore me out at the party.
After the match, the players were worn out.
Uncle Raj wore out his welcome by staying for three weeks.
✂️ Can You Separate It?
Yes. When wear out has an object, it is separable.
With a noun, both places are fine.
✅ The hike wore the team out.
✅ The hike wore out the team.
With it, him, her, them, the small word must go in the middle.
✅ The hike wore them out.
❌ The hike wore out them.
When there is no object, there is nothing to separate: The shoes wore out.
🛠️ How to Use It
- Wear out for things: the carpet wore out.
- Wear someone out for people: the game wore me out.
- Be worn out when you are very tired.
- Wear yourself out when you tire yourself: I wore myself out choosing a hat.
- Wear out your welcome when you stay too long as a guest.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Wear out or wear off? Wear off means fade slowly, but wear out means use up.
❌ The colour wore out on the wall.
✅ The colour wore off on the wall.
Pronoun in the middle.
❌ The game wore out me.
✅ The game wore me out.
💬 In a Conversation
Mia: Are you ready for the walk?
Leo: My feet are worn out already.
Mia: We have only been walking ten minutes!
Leo: I know. I wore myself out choosing a hat.
💡 The OddLingo Trick
Think of a pair of trainers worn so often that the soles are paper thin. Wear out means worn until nothing is left, whether it is the shoes or the person wearing them.
👯 Similar Expressions
- wear off: fade slowly. Not the same as wear out.
- tire out: make someone tired. A close synonym for the second meaning.