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ALL meanings of wear thin

wear thin
W w
  • verbal expression wear thin fabric: become threadbare 1
  • verbal expression wear thin excuse, etc.: be overused 1
  • intransitive verb+adjective wear thin patience: become exhausted 1
  • verb with object wear thin to carry or have on the body or about the person as a covering, equipment, ornament, or the like: to wear a coat; to wear a saber; to wear a disguise. 1
  • verb with object wear thin to have or use on the person habitually: to wear a wig. 1
  • verb with object wear thin to bear or have in one's aspect or appearance: to wear a smile; to wear an air of triumph. 1
  • verb with object wear thin to cause (garments, linens, etc.) to deteriorate or change by wear: Hard use has worn these gloves. 1
  • verb with object wear thin to impair, deteriorate, or consume gradually by use or any continued process: Long illness had worn the bloom from her cheeks. 1
  • verb with object wear thin to waste or diminish gradually by rubbing, scraping, washing, etc.: The waves have worn these rocks. 1
  • verb with object wear thin to make (a hole, channel, way, etc.) by such action. 1
  • verb with object wear thin to bring about or cause a specified condition in (a person or thing) by use, deterioration, or gradual change: to wear clothes to rags; to wear a person to a shadow. 1
  • verb with object wear thin to weary; fatigue; exhaust: Toil and care soon wear the spirit. 1
  • verb with object wear thin to pass (time) gradually or tediously (usually followed by away or out): We wore the afternoon away in arguing. 1
  • verb with object wear thin Nautical. to bring (a vessel) on another tack by turning until the wind is on the stern. 1
  • verb with object wear thin British Dialect. to gather and herd (sheep or cattle) to a pen or pasture. 1
  • verb without object wear thin to undergo gradual impairment, diminution, reduction, etc., from wear, use, attrition, or other causes (often followed by away, down, out, or off). 1
  • verb without object wear thin to retain shape, color, usefulness, value, etc., under wear, use, or any continued strain: a strong material that will wear; colors that wear well. 1
  • verb without object wear thin (of time) to pass, especially slowly or tediously (often followed by on or away): As the day wore on, we had less and less to talk about. 1
  • verb without object wear thin to have the quality of being easy or difficult to tolerate, especially after a relatively long association: It's hard to get to know him, but he wears well. 1
  • verb without object wear thin Nautical. (of a vessel) to come round on another tack by turning away from the wind. 1
  • verb without object wear thin Obsolete. to be commonly worn; to be in fashion. 1
  • noun wear thin the act of wearing; use, as of a garment: articles for winter wear; I've had a lot of wear out of this coat; I had to throw away the shirt after only three wears. 1
  • noun wear thin the state of being worn, as on the person. 1
  • noun wear thin clothing or other articles for wearing; especially when fashionable or appropriate for a particular function (often used in combination): travel wear; sportswear. 1
  • noun wear thin gradual impairment, wasting, diminution, etc., as from use: The carpet shows wear. 1
  • noun wear thin the quality of resisting deterioration with use; durability. 1
  • idioms wear thin wear thin, to diminish; weaken: My patience is wearing thin. to become less appealing, interesting, tolerable, etc.: childish antics that soon wore thin. 1
  • phrase wear thin If your patience or temper is wearing thin, you are becoming annoyed and are likely to get angry soon. 0
  • phrase wear thin If you say that something is wearing thin, you mean that people do not find it funny or interesting any more and are becoming annoyed with it, because they have seen or heard it so many times. 0
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