wear thin

phrase

1
: to become weak or ready to give way
my patience was wearing thin
2
: to become trite, unconvincing, or out-of-date
an argument that quickly wore thin

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wear thin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wear%20thin. Accessed 19 Dec. 2025.

Last Updated: - Definition revised
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!