# wear thin

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/wear-thin
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To lessen or weaken over time, as from overuse.

## Examples

- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.