fatigue

Everyday

1. Fatigue is great tiredness of the body or mind, after hard work, illness or lack of sleep. tree →
2. Metal fatigue is weakness in metal caused by being bent or shaken many times, which can make it crack. tree →
3. Fatigues (plural) are loose army clothes for work or battle. tree →
4. (verb, formal) To fatigue someone is to make them very tired. tree →

In the lessons

In health and PE lessons it explains why rest and sleep matter; in safety, driver fatigue causes accidents. In science and engineering, metal fatigue is why parts are checked and replaced. Phrases: suffer from fatigue, battle fatigue, metal fatigue, compassion fatigue.

Examples

• After the long hike, we were overcome with fatigue. tree →
• Fatigue can make it hard to concentrate in class. tree →
• Drivers should stop and rest to avoid fatigue. tree →
• The bridge was closed because of metal fatigue. tree →
• The soldiers wore green fatigues. tree →
• The illness left her with fatigue for weeks. tree →
• The heat fatigued the runners. tree →
• Trembling with fatigue he sat himself on a rock and broke a piece off his cake. tree →

Note

Say: fa-TEEG. Spelling ends in «-gue». Usually uncountable: «fatigue», not «a fatigue». More formal than «tiredness». Fatigues (army clothes) is always plural.