wear thin
To lessen or weaken over time, as from overuse.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Your excuses are starting to wear thin.”
“The manager's patience began to wear thin after the team missed their third deadline in a row.”
“As the long winter dragged on, the villagers' supplies began to wear thin, forcing them to ration their remaining grain until the spring harvest.”
- 01
does the Pope wear a funny hat
Obviously! Rhetorical question in response to a question where the answer is an emphatic yes.
- 02
have a thin time of it
To be in a difficult or precarious situation due to one not having enough money.
- 03
if the shoe fits, wear it
If a description fits, it is probably the case; if an insult accurately describes you, you must bear it; if you take offence at an insult that was only implicitly directed at you, you admit the insult is true enough to be recognizable.
- 04
on thin ice
Dangerously, hazardously, delicately.
- 05
out of thin air
From nowhere or nothing; from a non-existent or unknown source.
- 06
skate on thin ice
To be (or to place oneself) in a risky, potentially dangerous or delicate situation.
- 07
spread oneself thin
To commit oneself to too many projects, so that there is little chance of completing them all satisfactorily.
- 08
thick and thin
Both good and bad times.
Last updated August 10, 2026