Basic Details
Word: Weary
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Very tired, especially after hard work or a long time; also fed up with something.
Synonyms: tired, exhausted, worn out, fatigued
Antonyms: fresh, rested, energetic
Sounds like: wary (careful because there may be danger or trouble)
How to Spell Weary
Syllables: wea - ry
Tricky part: The vowel is ea, as in near and dear. Students write weery or wearey, and some confuse it with wary, which means careful.
Watch out for: weery, wearey, weiry
Memory tip: You grow weary of wearing heavy shoes all day: weary starts with the same w-e-a-r as wear.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The weary travellers fell asleep as soon as the bus left Shimla.
Example 2: After the long hike, our legs were weary and our water bottles empty.
Example 3: By the end of the campaign, many people were weary of loud election speeches.
Fun Fact
Weary is a very old word. Old English had it as werig, and it has kept almost the same meaning for over a thousand years.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word weary as used in the sentence:
By sunset, the weary farmers walked home slowly from the paddy fields with their tools on their shoulders.
a) exhausted
b) fresh
c) tired
d) drained
Show answer
b) fresh. After a day in the fields the farmers are worn out; someone fresh has energy left.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The weery soldiers rested under the trees before marching the last ten kilometres back to their camp.
a) soldiers
b) marching
c) weery
d) kilometres
Show answer
c) weery. The ee belongs to cheery; this word takes ea, the vowels of wear.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. anxeity 2. cheerfull 3. weary 4. pateint
a) a feeling of worry
b) happy and positive
c) very tired, usually after hard work
d) able to wait calmly
Show answer
c) very tired, usually after hard work. Anxiety has i before e, cheerful ends in a single l, and patient also puts i before e.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which word is easily confused with weary but means careful?
a) very
b) wary
c) worry
d) wiry
Show answer
b) wary
2. If you are weary of a song, you ____.
a) cannot remember it
b) are tired of hearing it
c) want to learn it
d) have just heard it
Show answer
b) are tired of hearing it
