fatigue
/fəˈtiːɡ/ (bre, ipa) · /fəˈtiːɡ/ (ame, ipa) · /fə-ˈtēg/ (ame, mw)
fatigue — noun
1. a feeling of great physical or mental tiredness that usually comes from hard wor
a feeling of great physical or mental tiredness that usually comes from hard work, exercise, or long periods without enough rest
After hiking up the mountain for six hours, Darius felt deep fatigue in his legs.
fatigue after physical exertion
Jisoo's doctor said the fatigue she felt might be caused by not sleeping enough.
fatigue as a medical symptom
Grading forty exam papers left Mira with mental fatigue so deep she could barely think.
A long flight across many time zones left Wren struggling with severe fatigue for days.
Sana collapsed into bed, too overcome by fatigue to even change her clothes.
- exhaustion
stronger than fatigue; suggests complete loss of energy
- tiredness
more common in everyday speech; less clinical than fatigue
- weariness
slightly more formal; often suggests a long, gradual build-up of tiredness
- lethargy
emphasises lack of energy or motivation rather than tiredness from effort
用法筆記
Uncountable only for this sense. The plural form 'fatigues' belongs to the military uniform sense (noun/3).
常見錯誤
2. weakness or damage that develops in a material like metal, plastic, or wood afte
weakness or damage that develops in a material like metal, plastic, or wood after it has been bent, stretched, or stressed many times over a long period
Justin inspected the bridge supports and found cracks caused by metal fatigue.
metal fatigue — structural failure risk
Engineers check aircraft wings regularly for any signs of material fatigue.
fatigue inspection in aviation
Repeated bending of the steel cable produced tiny fatigue cracks along its surface.
Engineers inspecting the railway bridge found fatigue cracks in several of its steel support beams.
- metal fatigue
the most common specific form; sometimes used generally for any material
- structural fatigue
specifically about load-bearing parts of buildings, vehicles, or machines
用法筆記
Most commonly appears in the compound 'metal fatigue' in engineering and safety contexts. Can apply to other materials but the metal case is by far the most frequent.
3. a loose, comfortable uniform that soldiers wear for everyday work, training, or
a loose, comfortable uniform that soldiers wear for everyday work, training, or field duties instead of formal dress
The soldiers changed into their fatigues before starting the morning cleanup duty.
fatigues as everyday work uniform
Nkechi noticed everyone at the training camp wore green fatigues with the same patches.
Élise ironed her fatigues carefully before the inspection the next morning.
Asher's fatigue uniform had his surname stitched above the right chest pocket.
- battledress
more formal term for combat uniform; less common in everyday military speech
- work uniform
broader term that includes non-military work clothing
- field uniform
specifically for outdoor or combat training, not base duties
- dress uniform
formal military uniform for ceremonies and parades
文法句型
plural: fatigues
用法筆記
Always used in the plural form 'fatigues' when referring to the clothing itself. Can also appear attributively as 'fatigue uniform' or 'fatigue jacket' (see adjective/2).
常見錯誤
4. simple physical tasks such as cleaning, cooking, or digging that soldiers must d
simple physical tasks such as cleaning, cooking, or digging that soldiers must do as part of their daily routine, sometimes assigned as a punishment
The new recruits were assigned kitchen fatigue for a week as part of their training.
kitchen fatigue — assigned chore
Mayumi complained about guard fatigue, but the sergeant said everyone had to take turns.
guard fatigue — rotating watch duty
As punishment for being late, the soldiers were assigned kitchen fatigue for three days.
Fatigue duty at the base included sweeping the barracks and washing the vehicles.
- fatigue duty
the standard compound form used in military manuals
- menial work
broader, non-military term for low-status manual tasks
- chores
everyday domestic equivalent, not specific to military
用法筆記
Often paired with a noun describing the type of work: 'kitchen fatigue', 'guard fatigue', 'latrine fatigue'. When followed by 'duty' (fatigue duty), it functions as a compound noun for the general concept.
5. a feeling of losing interest or becoming emotionally drained because you have be
a feeling of losing interest or becoming emotionally drained because you have been exposed to the same thing too many times or for too long
After watching the same commercials every hour, Ingrid felt serious viewer fatigue.
viewer fatigue — media overexposure
Compassion fatigue can affect nurses who care for suffering patients day after day.
compassion fatigue — common in care professions
After months of the same stories, Dario developed serious news fatigue and stopped checking headlines.
The audience showed clear fatigue with the politician's repeated promises during the debate.
- engagement
active interest and participation
用法筆記
Very common in compound nouns like 'compassion fatigue', 'battle fatigue', 'viewer fatigue', and 'decision fatigue'. The compound always names the source of the overexposure.
常見錯誤
fatigue — verb
- fatiguepresent simple I / you / we / they
- fatigues3rd person singular
- fatiguing-ing form
- fatiguedpast simple
1. to make a person or an animal very tired, either in body or in mind, through har
to make a person or an animal very tired, either in body or in mind, through hard work, long effort, or repeated activity
The long walk uphill in the heat fatigued Darius more than he had expected.
Caring for three lively young children all day really fatigues Jisoo by evening.
fatigues [someone] — daily care work
The constant noise from the construction site fatigued everyone in the office.
It fatigues Vikram to spend the whole afternoon helping his younger brother with science homework.
Riding a bicycle up steep hills for an hour fatigues even the fittest athletes.
文法句型
fatigue + noun/pronoun
用法筆記
More common in formal or written English. In everyday conversation, 'tire out' or 'exhaust' are more frequent alternatives. The object is typically a person or animal, not a thing.
常見錯誤
fatigue — adjective
- fatiguepositive
- more fatiguecomparative
- most fatiguesuperlative
1. relating to the non-combat work tasks that soldiers perform, such as cleaning, c
relating to the non-combat work tasks that soldiers perform, such as cleaning, cooking, or camp maintenance
Wren reported for fatigue duty at the storage shed right after breakfast.
fatigue duty — non-combat work
The sergeant posted a list of fatigue assignments on the board each morning.
Justin spent the afternoon on fatigue detail, cleaning the mess hall and the latrines.
Fatigue tasks included scrubbing the mess hall floor and repainting the supply shed.
用法筆記
Used only attributively before nouns like 'duty', 'detail', 'assignment', or 'task'. In modern military usage, often replaced by 'fatigue' as a noun modifier in compounds.
2. describing an item of clothing that belongs to the loose everyday work uniform w
describing an item of clothing that belongs to the loose everyday work uniform worn by soldiers in non-formal settings
The quartermaster handed out new fatigue jackets to all the new arrivals.
fatigue jackets — uniform item
Nkechi's fatigue trousers had extra pockets for carrying small tools and supplies.
Fatigue boot soles are thick and slip-resistant, giving good grip on muddy training grounds.
Élise hung her fatigue shirt on the rack next to the other laundry.
用法筆記
Always attributive — placed before a clothing noun such as 'jacket', 'trousers', 'shirt', 'cap', or 'boots'. The corresponding noun form is 'fatigues' (noun/3).