Basic Details
Word: Fatigue
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Great tiredness of the body or mind after hard work, illness or too little sleep; also weakness in metal caused by repeated bending or shaking.
Synonyms: tiredness, exhaustion, weariness
Antonyms: energy, freshness, vigour
How to Spell Fatigue
Syllables: fa - tigue
Tricky part: The word ends in a silent ue after the g, so students write fatig or fatique. The g sound is hard and the ending rhymes with league.
Watch out for: fatique, fatigeu, fateague
Memory tip: Fatigue rhymes with league and intrigue, and all three finish with the same silent ue after the g.
Usage Examples
Example 1: After the twelve-hour train ride from Chennai, fatigue showed on everyone's faces.
Example 2: Sitting at a screen for hours can cause eye fatigue, so look away now and then.
Example 3: The doctor said his fatigue came from staying up late to play video games.
Fun Fact
Engineers speak of metal fatigue: a metal part that is bent or shaken again and again can crack, even under loads it could normally carry. Aircraft parts are checked for it regularly.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. fatigue 2. dialouge 3. vauge 4. colleage
a) not clear or definite
b) a person you work with
c) a conversation between people
d) great tiredness of body or mind
Show answer
d) great tiredness of body or mind. Colleague, dialogue and vague each have the ue in the wrong place or missing, while fatigue has it right.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word fatigue as used in the sentence:
Despite her fatigue after the night shift, the nurse stayed to help with the new patients.
a) energy
b) exhaustion
c) hunger
d) anger
Show answer
b) exhaustion. Fatigue after a night shift is deep tiredness, the same as exhaustion; energy is its opposite.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
The marathon runners fought giuteaf in the last five kilometres.
a) league
b) intrigue
c) figure
d) fatigue
Show answer
d) fatigue. The seven letters include an f, a t and an a; intrigue and league have no f, and figure has no t.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A pilot suffering from fatigue should ____.
a) fly the plane even faster
b) skip meals to stay awake
c) fly extra hours to finish early
d) rest before the next flight
Show answer
d) rest before the next flight
2. In 'The long climb fatigued the hikers', fatigued is a ____.
a) verb
b) noun
c) adverb
d) adjective
Show answer
a) verb
