fatigues
fatigues — idiom
1. the loose-fitting olive-green, khaki, or camouflage outfit that soldiers put on
the loose-fitting olive-green, khaki, or camouflage outfit that soldiers put on for daily work, training, or outdoor duty, rather than for formal ceremonies
The soldiers changed out of their dress uniforms and put on their fatigues before heading to the training ground.
the fatigues — plural noun for the garment category
Esme noticed that all the recruits wore the same olive-green fatigues during basic training.
The army issued fresh fatigues to every soldier before the month-long field exercise began.
Layla folded her fatigues neatly each night so they would be ready for the next morning's inspection.
In many armies, soldiers wear fatigues with a T-shirt and combat boots rather than a dress shirt.
- camos
informal shortening of 'camouflage'; slightly narrower since camos usually have a printed pattern
- combat uniform
more formal and general; includes both fatigues and modern digital-pattern uniforms
- BDUs
acronym for Battle Dress Uniform; a specific type of fatigues used by the US military before the 2000s
- dress uniform
formal ceremonial uniform worn for parades and official events
文法句型
used as a plural noun: the fatigues
用法筆記
Always used in the plural form; you cannot say 'a fatigue' to mean one item of the uniform. When used attributively before a noun — as in 'fatigue jacket' or 'fatigue trousers' — the singular form 'fatigue' describes the type of clothing, not an adjective.
常見錯誤
2. hard, boring physical tasks such as cleaning, sweeping, or kitchen work that sol
hard, boring physical tasks such as cleaning, sweeping, or kitchen work that soldiers are ordered to do, especially as a penalty for breaking a rule
For arriving late to roll call, Private Ramón was assigned three hours of fatigues scrubbing the kitchen floor.
collocation: assigned (three hours of) fatigues
Benjamin complained that peeling potatoes for the whole battalion felt worse than any other fatigue duty he had done.
The sergeant ordered the recruits to report for fatigues at 5 AM to clean the latrines and sweep the barracks.
Trang spent the weekend on fatigue duty, washing army vehicles until every tire was spotless.
- fatigue duty
the official military term for these tasks; slightly more formal
- KP duty
stands for kitchen patrol; a specific type of fatigue that involves washing dishes
- manual labour
broader term; not limited to military context
文法句型
used as uncountable: be given fatigue / fatigues
用法筆記
Often used without the plural marker: 'fatigue duty' or 'on fatigue' describe the same concept. The specific phrase 'doing fatigues' means doing punishment chores.
常見錯誤
fatigues — noun
1. the boring, low-level physical jobs — such as mopping floors, washing dishes, or
the boring, low-level physical jobs — such as mopping floors, washing dishes, or cleaning vehicles — that soldiers must do to keep a military base running
Every new soldier has to do fatigues for the first few weeks, scrubbing floors and emptying trash cans.
collocation: do fatigues
Zuri was put on fatigue duty after she forgot to lock the supply cabinet last Tuesday.
pattern: on fatigue duty (as a result of [reason])
Mizuki hated the endless fatigues of peeling vegetables for three hundred soldiers every evening.
The sergeant told the platoon that fatigues would begin at dawn and include painting the entire mess hall.
- grunt work
informal; common in both military and civilian contexts
- fatigue duty
the formal military term; slightly more official
- drudgery
more formal and general; describes any boring, tiring work
文法句型
used without a determiner: do fatigues
用法筆記
The word 'fatigues' (menial work sense) is uncountable despite being plural in form — you do not say 'a fatigue' to mean one chore.
常見錯誤
2. a feeling of being extremely tired, physically or mentally, because of hard work
a feeling of being extremely tired, physically or mentally, because of hard work, long effort, or emotional strain
After hiking fifteen kilometres with a heavy pack, Alessia was overcome with fatigue and could barely stand.
pattern: be overcome with fatigue
Chronic fatigue is a common problem for nurses who work twelve-hour night shifts for weeks at a time.
collocation: chronic fatigue
Saira felt a deep fatigue after studying for final exams every night until two in the morning.
The driver pulled over when fatigue made it hard to keep his eyes open on the highway.
Putri tried to walk off the fatigue by taking a short break, but her legs still felt heavy.
- tiredness
more general and less intense; A2-level word
- exhaustion
stronger than fatigue; the state of having no energy left
- weariness
slightly more literary; emphasises the feeling of being fed up as well as tired
- energy
the opposite feeling of having strength and vitality
文法句型
suffer (from) fatigue
be overcome with fatigue
fatigue sets in
用法筆記
This is the only sense that also takes the singular form 'fatigue'. When referring to tiredness, the singular 'fatigue' is far more common than the plural. The plural 'fatigues' for this sense is rare and usually seen in medical or technical writing.
常見錯誤
fatigues — verb
- fatiguespresent simple I / you / we / they
- fatigueses3rd person singular
- fatiguesing-ing form
- fatiguesedpast simple
1. to make a person or an animal feel very tired, especially by forcing them to wor
to make a person or an animal feel very tired, especially by forcing them to work, walk, or concentrate for a long time without rest
The long march through the desert fatigued the soldiers so much that they collapsed under the shade of the trucks.
passive: were fatigued by [long event]
Carrying bricks up six flights of stairs all morning had fatigued the construction crew by lunchtime.
The intense heat and humidity fatigue even the most experienced runners within the first kilometre.
We were completely fatigued after the ten-hour flight from Taipei to London with no sleep.
Solving the same maths problem over and over again began to fatigue Kwame's mind more than his body.
- energise
to give someone energy and enthusiasm
文法句型
fatigue + object
be fatigued by/from something
用法筆記
More formal than 'tire out' or 'wear out'. Often used in passive constructions. The subject is commonly an activity or condition rather than a person.
常見錯誤
2. to become extremely tired as a result of working, running, or concentrating for
to become extremely tired as a result of working, running, or concentrating for a long period
The rescue dog began to fatigue after searching through the rubble for six hours without stopping.
collocation: begin to fatigue
Liam started to fatigue halfway through the marathon and had to slow down his pace.
The hikers did not fatigue until they reached the steepest part of the mountain trail.
Prolonged exposure to loud noise can cause the ear muscles to fatigue and affect hearing over time.
- recover
to get back your strength after being tired
文法句型
fatigue (with no object)
fatigue from/under something
用法筆記
Less common than the transitive sense. The intransitive use is mostly found in formal, technical, or medical writing. In everyday English, 'get tired' or 'wear out' are more natural.