Word of the day, 8th March 2015
I have been inexplicably /ˌɪnɪkˈsplɪkəbliː/ extremely tired /tʌɪəd/ this weekend. I will try to do a bit of catching up tonight.
So the word for today has to be tired /tʌɪəd/.
I realise everyone will obviously already know this word, but perhaps I can clarify its pronunciation and suggest a few synonyms that you might not know.
Firstly, however, I wonder if you know the word inexplicably /ˌɪnɪkˈsplɪkəbliː/ that I used just now? This is the adverb of inexplicable /ˌɪnɪkˈsplɪkəbəl/ (which can actually be pronounced in subtly different ways: /ɪnɛkˈsplɪkəbəl/ or /ɪnˈɛksplɪkəbəl/ and the final schwa (ə) is hardly sounded). “inexplicable” means “unable to be explained or accounted for.” So what I said above is that I have been unable to explain why I have been so tired this weekend!
I have had a number of international friends who struggle with the pronunciation of “tired“.
Most often they pronounce it /tɪəd/, as in the word “tiered” which refers to something having a series of rows of levels placed one about the other
– for example, “a tiered wedding cake” or a “tiered organisational structure“.
The verb to “tire” /tʌɪə/ is pronounced identically to the noun “tyre” /tʌɪə/ (in most common usage, this refers to the rubber part of a wheel).
Add a ‘d’ sound on the end and you have “tired” /tʌɪəd/
Here are some other words (synonyms) or expressions (meaning “tired” in the sense of feeling like you need sleep, rather than any other meaning, which I won’t talk about here).
I will leave you to look up the words that interest you.
- sleepy /ˈsliːpi/
- exhausted /ɪɡˈzɔːstɪd/ or /ɛkˈzɔːstɪd/
- worn out
- burned out
- weary /ˈwɪəri/
- drained /dreɪnd/
- faint /feɪnt/
- fatigued /fəˈtiːɡd/
- finished /ˈfɪnɪʃt/
- shattered /ˈʃatəd/ – Informal(!)
- knackered /ˈnakəd/ – Slang! I don’t recommend the use of this word, but I feel I have to mention it since you may still hear it occasionally and wonder what it means. It is the least polite term listed here. It comes from knacker /ˈnakə/, which was “an old, sick, or useless farm animal, especially a horse“.
- beat /biːt/ – informal (possibly more American)
- spent /spɛnt/ – slightly old-fashioned, perhaps.
- all in – also slightly old-fashioned I think.
- dead on one’s feet – informal(!) “I’m dead on my feet“
- asleep on one’s feet – informal(!)
- wasted /ˈweɪstɪd/ – informal(!)
- dog-tired – informal(!)
- done for – informal
- done in – informal
- drowsy /ˈdraʊzi/
- half asleep – “I can’t think anymore, I’m half asleep…“
- run-down
If you think of others, you can add your own comments.
Sleep well! 🙂