Words / B2

f-uh-TEEG/fəˈtiːɡ/

Fatigue is extreme tiredness (often uncountable), or metal weakening from repeated stress: consultant fatigue; metal fatigue. Tiredness is everyday and weaker. Exhaustion is close. Night shifts: fatigue was cited. Do not use it for ordinary sleepiness after one late bus.

Meaning

Great tiredness; also weakening of metal from repeated stress.

Examples

• “Consultant fatigue was cited after the twelfth night shift.”
• “Investigators pointed to metal fatigue in the rail, which is the engineering sense.”

Good to know

fatigue among staff; metal / combat fatigue. Uncountable in the tiredness sense. Everyday: tiredness. Stronger: exhaustion. NHS, aviation, materials science.

Near in meaning

exhaustion

New