Extreme tiredness; weakness in metal from repeated stress; loose-fitting army clothes; OR loss of interest from overexposure
After three nights of barely sleeping with a newborn baby, you can feel the fatigue in every part of your body. Your eyes burn, your thoughts are slow, and even lifting a cup of coffee feels like an enormous effort.
This meaning is about deep exhaustion that goes beyond normal tiredness. Imagine a doctor working a 24-hour shift, grey with fatigue by morning, struggling to keep her eyes open during rounds. This is fatigue. You might suffer from fatigue after running a marathon, or someone could collapse from mental fatigue after exams. Or picture a long-distance driver fighting fatigue on a night journey, knowing how dangerous it is. The word suggests exhaustion that affects your whole body and mind.
Vivid example: After months of working double shifts, the nurse was showing clear signs of fatigue—dark circles under her eyes, slow reactions, and a constant struggle to stay focused.
This meaning is about materials becoming weak from repeated stress. Imagine engineers investigating a plane crash and discovering metal fatigue in the wing, where years of bending during flights caused invisible cracks. This is material fatigue. You might hear about fatigue in bridge supports, or inspectors could find fatigue in old railway tracks. Or picture a bicycle frame that snaps due to fatigue from thousands of rides over bumpy roads. The word points to gradual, hidden damage.
Vivid example: The investigation revealed that metal fatigue in the aircraft’s fuselage had caused tiny cracks to spread over years, eventually leading to the catastrophic failure mid-flight.
This meaning is about the practical uniforms soldiers wear for work and training. Imagine soldiers arriving at camp wearing green fatigues covered in mud after a long training exercise in the field. This is wearing fatigues. You might see recruits in fatigues doing morning exercises, or a veteran could keep his old fatigues as a memento. Or picture a film showing soldiers in desert fatigues marching through sandy terrain. The word suggests practical military clothing.
Vivid example: The young recruits lined up in their freshly issued fatigues, looking nervous but proud as the sergeant inspected each one before their first day of basic training.
This meaning is about becoming numb or uninterested after too much of something. Imagine seeing so many charity appeals that you develop compassion fatigue and stop responding emotionally to stories of suffering. This is a type of fatigue. You might experience news fatigue after endless coverage of the same story, or voters could feel election fatigue after a long campaign. Or picture pandemic fatigue setting in after months of restrictions and worry. The word suggests emotional exhaustion from overexposure.
Vivid example: After two years of constant pandemic news, most people were suffering from COVID fatigue and had simply stopped paying attention to daily case numbers and new restrictions.
Examples from the street:
“I’m suffering from serious fatigue — I can barely keep my eyes open.” → I’m experiencing extreme tiredness — I can hardly stay awake
“There’s a lot of Zoom fatigue going around — everyone’s sick of video calls.” → People are exhausted from too many online meetings — everybody’s fed up with virtual conferences
“The long hours are starting to fatigue the whole team.” → The extended shifts are beginning to exhaust/wear out everyone in the group
Fatigue as extreme tiredness (noun) — VERY COMMON:
– suffer from fatigue → experience extreme tiredness
– chronic/extreme/severe fatigue → long-lasting or intense exhaustion
– physical/mental/emotional fatigue → tiredness of body, mind, or feelings
– fatigue sets in → tiredness begins to affect someone
– signs/symptoms of fatigue → indicators of exhaustion
– combat/fight fatigue → try to overcome tiredness
Fatigue as weariness from overexposure — VERY COMMON:
– [noun] fatigue → exhaustion from too much of something (Zoom fatigue, pandemic fatigue, compassion fatigue)
– voter/election fatigue → weariness from too much political news
– decision fatigue → exhaustion from making too many choices
– screen fatigue → tiredness from too much time on devices
Fatigue as material weakness (technical):
– metal/material fatigue → weakening of materials from repeated stress
– fatigue failure → breakdown caused by repeated stress on materials
Fatigue as verb (formal):
– [something] fatigues [someone] → something exhausts or tires someone
– fatigued by [something] → worn out by something
Fatigues as military clothing (noun):
– army/military fatigues → soldiers’ work uniforms
– wearing fatigues → dressed in military-style clothing
Example Sentences
1. She’s been suffering from fatigue ever since she had Covid — it’s taking forever to recover → She’s been experiencing extreme exhaustion since she caught the virus — getting back to normal is taking ages.
2. After working 60-hour weeks for months, fatigue set in and I couldn’t function anymore → After putting in such long shifts for so long, total exhaustion took over and I wasn’t able to operate properly.
3. Chronic fatigue is a real medical condition — it’s not just about being tired → Long-term exhaustion is a genuine health issue — it’s not simply about feeling sleepy.
4. The doctor said my extreme fatigue was caused by iron deficiency → The physician told me my severe tiredness was due to not having enough of that mineral in my blood.
5. I’m experiencing serious decision fatigue — I can’t choose anything anymore → I’m completely worn out from making choices — I’m unable to pick anything at this point.
6. Zoom fatigue is real — staring at a screen all day is exhausting → Weariness from video calls is a genuine thing — looking at a monitor for hours is draining.
7. There’s a lot of voter fatigue after three elections in four years → People are fed up with politics after going to the polls so many times recently.
8. Healthcare workers are experiencing compassion fatigue from dealing with so much suffering → Medical staff are emotionally drained from witnessing so much pain and hardship.
9. The plane crash was caused by metal fatigue in the wing structure → The aircraft disaster resulted from weakening of the material in the wing due to repeated stress.
10. The constant travelling fatigued him to the point where he couldn’t think straight → The non-stop journeys exhausted him so much that he was unable to think clearly.
Learner Examples
1. Students often experience mental fatigue during exam periods, which makes studying even harder → Learners frequently feel mentally drained during testing times, which makes revision even more difficult.
2. I’ve noticed language learning fatigue setting in — I need to take a break and come back fresh → I’ve observed exhaustion from studying creeping up on me — I should step away and return with renewed energy.
✔ Native usage tips
– “Fatigue” is more formal than “tiredness” — in casual conversation, people say “I’m tired” or “I’m exhausted,” not “I’m experiencing fatigue.” “Fatigue” sounds medical or technical
– “[Noun] fatigue” compounds are everywhere now — this pattern has exploded in recent years. Zoom fatigue, pandemic fatigue, outrage fatigue, news fatigue — you can create your own by adding any noun to describe weariness from overexposure
– “Decision fatigue” is a popular concept — this psychological term has entered everyday language. It explains why making many small choices throughout the day leaves you mentally drained
– “Chronic fatigue syndrome” is a specific condition — this refers to a serious medical illness (also called ME). Don’t use “chronic fatigue” casually for ordinary tiredness — it can seem insensitive
– “Fatigues” (plural) means military clothes — this is a completely different meaning. “He wore fatigues” means he was dressed in army-style uniform, not that he was tired
– The verb “fatigue” is quite formal — you’ll see it in writing more than speech. “The journey fatigued me” sounds literary; “The journey wore me out” sounds natural
– “Metal fatigue” is a technical term — engineers use this to describe how materials weaken under repeated stress. It’s often mentioned in accident investigations
✔ Similar expressions / words
– Exhaustion → more common in everyday speech; slightly more intense than fatigue: “I collapsed from exhaustion” sounds more dramatic than “I was suffering from fatigue”
– Tiredness → the everyday word; less severe than fatigue: “tiredness” is normal after a long day; “fatigue” suggests something deeper or more persistent
– Burnout → specifically refers to exhaustion from overwork; more emotional/psychological: “burnout” implies you’ve pushed yourself too hard for too long and now can’t continue