tiresome
gb/tˈaɪɚsəm/ us/tˈaɪɚsəm/
B2
English
~ 8500
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
annoying, irritating, or exasperating
Making you feel annoyed or fed up, often because it happens again and again or needs too much effort or attention.
Usage pattern:
to find [something/someone] tiresome
Common mistake:
Learners often use "tiring" instead of "tiresome" when they mean emotionally or mentally annoying. "Tiring" usually means something makes you physically tired, while "tiresome" means it is annoying, frustrating, or emotionally draining. For example, say "His behavior is tiresome" (annoying), not "His behavior is tiring" unless you mean it makes you physically exhausted.
Synonyms
annoying (Very common and general; slightly less formal than "tiresome".)
|
irritating (Suggests sharper, more active annoyance; often used for sounds or behaviors.)
|
bothersome (Similar level of annoyance but sounds a little softer and more informal.)
Antonyms
pleasant (Describes something that gives comfort or enjoyment rather than annoyance.)
|
enjoyable (Focuses on giving pleasure or fun, the opposite of causing irritation.)
Collocations
tiresome habit
|tiresome person
|tiresome questions
|find it tiresome
|incredibly tiresome
|becoming tiresome
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He has the tiresome habit of correcting everyone’s grammar.
- It’s really tiresome having to explain the same rule every day.
- Her constant complaints about the weather became quite tiresome.
- I find his fake friendliness particularly tiresome.
- The delays and last‑minute changes were tiresome for the whole team.
Learner examples
- My little brother can be very tiresome when he keeps asking the same question.
- It is tiresome to wait in a long line every morning.
- I find it tiresome when people talk loudly on the phone in the bus.
- Her endless stories about work are a bit tiresome.
- The teacher’s questions were tiresome because he did not listen to our answers.
adjective
B2
property
2
boring, tedious, or wearisome
Making you feel bored and tired in your mind because it is slow, long, or always the same.
Usage pattern:
[something] becomes tiresome
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "I am tiresome" when they mean they feel tired or bored. "I am tiresome" actually means other people find you boring or annoying. To talk about your own feeling, say "I am tired" or "I am bored." Also, "tiresome" usually describes things or activities, not your own temporary state.
Synonyms
tedious (Very close in meaning; often slightly more formal and common in written English.)
|
boring (More general and informal; does not always suggest the same sense of mental weariness.)
Antonyms
interesting (Describes something that holds your attention, unlike a tiresome activity.)
|
engaging (Suggests something actively holds your interest, the opposite of being dull and tiresome.)
Collocations
tiresome task
|tiresome routine
|tiresome journey
|long and tiresome
|a bit tiresome
|tiresome details
Themes
work
|daily life
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Filling out these forms every month is a tiresome task.
- The lecture grew tiresome after the first hour of dry statistics.
- Packing up the entire house was a long, tiresome process.
- The film was beautifully shot, but the plot was slow and tiresome.
- After a while, the endless technical details became tiresome to listen to.
Learner examples
- Cleaning the kitchen every day can be tiresome.
- His speech was so long and tiresome that many people started looking at their phones.
- The trip home was tiresome because of the heavy traffic.
- Doing the same exercise again and again is tiresome.
- The book was well written, but the middle part was tiresome to read.
Grammar
Dictionary form
tiresome
IPA
GB/tˈaɪɚsəm/
US/tˈaɪɚsəm/
Syllables & stress
tire - some (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (tire)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: tiresome
Word family
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.