# fatigue

/fəˈtiɡ/ (US) · /fɐtˈiːɡ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fatigue
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. extreme tiredness

noun · CEFR B2

a feeling of being very tired, either in your body or your mind, after a lot of work or stress.

For teachers: extreme tiredness resulting from mental or physical exertion or illness. Uncountable in its general sense.

- After working double shifts all week, she suffered from severe fatigue.
- The driver's fatigue was cited as a primary factor in the accident, as his reaction times were significantly impaired by lack of sleep.

### 2. material failure

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

weakness in metal or other materials caused by repeated stress, which can lead to breaking.

For teachers: the weakening or failure of a material, such as metal, caused by repeated cycles of stress or strain.

- The old bridge was closed because of metal fatigue in the main cables.
- Engineers conducted ultrasonic testing to detect signs of structural fatigue in the aircraft's fuselage before it was cleared for flight.

### 3. military clothing

noun · CEFR C1 · General-service

strong clothes worn by soldiers when they are doing physical work rather than fighting.

For teachers: clothing worn by military personnel for manual labour or field duties, as opposed to dress uniforms. Usually plural.

- The soldiers changed into their fatigues to help clear the mud after the flood.
- The recruits spent the afternoon in their olive-drab fatigues, performing the repetitive manual tasks required to maintain the base perimeter.

### 4. to make tired

verb · CEFR B2 · Formal

to make someone feel very tired.

For teachers: to cause someone to become weary or exhausted through physical or mental effort.

- The long climb up the mountain fatigued the hikers.
- The intense heat and humidity quickly fatigued the marathon runners, forcing many to drop out before the halfway mark.

### 5. to wilt a salad

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to make salad leaves soft by adding dressing or heat.

For teachers: to cause salad greens to wilt, typically by applying a hot dressing or through vigorous tossing.

- The chef used a warm bacon dressing to fatigue the spinach leaves.
- To achieve the traditional texture of the dish, you must fatigue the greens just enough so they lose their crunch without becoming mushy.

## Examples

- He suffered from severe fatigue after the long hike.
- The doctor explained that her chronic fatigue was likely caused by a combination of poor sleep and high stress at work.
- Structural fatigue in the aircraft's fuselage was identified as the primary cause of the incident, leading to a mandatory inspection of all older models in the fleet.

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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.