In 15 Seconds
- Time passing slowly and tediously.
- It feels burdensome or tiring.
- Used for prolonged, boring situations.
- Focuses on the negative effect of time.
Meaning
This phrase describes time passing in a way that feels slow, tedious, or tiring. It is used when a situation or a period of time starts to feel like a burden as it continues.
Key Examples
3 of 12Texting a friend about a long commute
This train delay is really starting to `wear on` me. I just want to get home!
This train delay is really starting to feel tedious and tiring to me. I just want to get home!
Instagram caption about a long week
Another Monday done. The weekdays are definitely `wearing on` me this month. 😴 #longweek #isitfridayyet
Another Monday done. The weekdays are definitely feeling long and tiring to me this month. 😴 #longweek #isitfridayyet
Discussing a prolonged project in a meeting
We need to find a way to speed this up; the current pace is `wearing on` everyone involved.
We need to find a way to speed this up; the current slow pace is becoming tiring and burdensome for everyone involved.
Cultural Background
The phrase `wear on` likely emerged from the literal sense of 'wearing' as in 'to deteriorate through use or exposure.' Just as fabric wears out over time, so too can a person's patience, energy, or spirit when subjected to a prolonged, tedious situation. It captures the gradual, often unnoticed, erosion of one's resilience as time passes.
Feel the Drag!
The key to `wear on` is the feeling of time being a burden. If time is flying by or enjoyable, this phrase won't work!
Don't Mix Up 'Wear On' and 'Wear Out'!
Using 'wear out' implies extreme tiredness from an activity, while 'wear on' implies time itself is the tedious factor. 'The marathon wore me out' vs. 'The marathon wore on my patience.'
In 15 Seconds
- Time passing slowly and tediously.
- It feels burdensome or tiring.
- Used for prolonged, boring situations.
- Focuses on the negative effect of time.
What It Means
Ever feel like time is just crawling? That's wear on in action. It means time is passing, but it feels really slow and maybe a bit annoying or exhausting. It’s not just any slow time; it’s usually when a situation you're in feels like it’s dragging out. Imagine waiting for a bus in the rain. The minutes tick by, and it feels like forever. That’s time wearing on you.
How To Use It
You use wear on when you want to talk about how a long or difficult period is affecting you. It often comes after a period of time, like 'as the days wear on' or 'as the night wears on'. You can also say that a situation or a feeling is wearing on someone. It implies a gradual, tiring effect. It’s like a slow drip that eventually wears down a stone, or you! So, if a long meeting is boring you, you might say 'This meeting is really wearing on me.'
Real-Life Examples
- Texting a friend: 'Ugh, this traffic jam is insane. It’s been an hour already, and it’s really
wearing onme.' - Watching a movie: 'This documentary is interesting, but it’s getting late, and the plot is starting to
wear on.' - At work: 'The endless Zoom calls are really
wearing onthe team's morale.' - Social media: 'Day 5 of this heatwave. My patience is starting to
wear on.' - Job interview: 'I understand the process can take time, but I hope it doesn't
wear ontoo long.'
When To Use It
Use wear on when you want to express that time is passing slowly and it's having a negative, tiring, or burdensome effect on you or someone else. It's perfect for situations that are prolonged and a bit tedious, like a long journey, a difficult project, or a boring event. It’s also great for describing how the passage of time itself can become tiring, especially when you're waiting for something or enduring something unpleasant. Think of it as the feeling of a long, slow Tuesday.
When NOT To Use It
Don't use wear on for time that is passing quickly or enjoyably. If you're having a fantastic vacation, you wouldn't say 'The days are wearing on me!' because that sounds like the vacation is a chore. Also, avoid it for very short periods; it implies a duration that feels significant. You wouldn't say 'The 5-minute wait for my coffee is wearing on me.' It’s also not typically used for exciting or positive events that are simply long, like a long concert you're loving. That would be weird, right?
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse wear on with simply 'pass' or 'go by'. While related, wear on carries that specific feeling of slowness and tedium. Another common mix-up is using wear on when the time isn't actually *affecting* you negatively. It's the 'effect' part that's key. It’s not just about time passing; it’s about time *feeling* like a burden.
- ✗ The weekend is
wearing onso fast! → ✓ The weekend isgoing byso fast! - ✗ This fun party is
wearing onme. → ✓ This fun party isgoing onand on. - ✗ The exam is
wearing onme. → ✓ The exam istaking a tollon me. (Or: The exam islonganddifficult.)
Similar Expressions
Drag on: Very similar, often used for events or processes that are longer than expected. 'The meeting dragged on for hours.'Take a toll: Focuses more on the negative effect on someone's health or well-being. 'The stress of the job took a toll on her.'Get old: Used for something that was once fun or interesting but has become boring through repetition or overuse. 'That joke is starting to get old.'Be a drag: Describes something or someone that is tedious or boring. 'This homework is such a drag.'
Common Variations
Wear someone out: This is very common and means to make someone feel very tired. 'This long journey iswearing me out.'Wear thin: Used for patience or resources that are running out. 'My patience iswearing thin.'Wear down: Similar totake a toll, suggesting a gradual weakening or exhaustion. 'The constant criticismwore him down.'
Memory Trick
Imagine a favorite pair of jeans. When you wear them a lot, they start to get worn out, right? The fabric thins, they might get holes. Time can do the same thing to your patience or energy. As time wears on, it can literally wear you out or wear thin your patience. So, think of time as a pair of old jeans – it can get worn and make *you* feel worn out!
Quick FAQ
Q: Is wear on always negative?
A: Mostly, yes. It implies a slow, tedious, or tiring passage of time. It’s rarely used for positive experiences.
Q: Can I use it for short periods?
A: No, it suggests a duration that feels long and burdensome. Think hours, days, or even longer.
Q: What's the difference between wear on and drag on?
A: Drag on often refers to the event itself being excessively long. Wear on focuses more on the effect of that long duration on a person.
Usage Notes
This is a versatile phrase, usable in both informal and neutral contexts. Avoid using it for time that passes quickly or for enjoyable events. The key is the feeling of tedium and the slow, burdensome passage of time affecting someone.
Feel the Drag!
The key to `wear on` is the feeling of time being a burden. If time is flying by or enjoyable, this phrase won't work!
Don't Mix Up 'Wear On' and 'Wear Out'!
Using 'wear out' implies extreme tiredness from an activity, while 'wear on' implies time itself is the tedious factor. 'The marathon wore me out' vs. 'The marathon wore on my patience.'
Connect to 'Wear and Tear'
Think of how constant use wears down fabric or materials. Time can 'wear' down your energy or patience, especially when it passes slowly.
The Value of Efficiency
In cultures that highly value efficiency and productivity, phrases like `wear on` resonate because they describe the negative experience of wasted or tediously spent time.
Examples
12This train delay is really starting to `wear on` me. I just want to get home!
This train delay is really starting to feel tedious and tiring to me. I just want to get home!
Shows the personal feeling of being tired by the slow passage of time.
Another Monday done. The weekdays are definitely `wearing on` me this month. 😴 #longweek #isitfridayyet
Another Monday done. The weekdays are definitely feeling long and tiring to me this month. 😴 #longweek #isitfridayyet
Captures the feeling of exhaustion from multiple slow weekdays.
We need to find a way to speed this up; the current pace is `wearing on` everyone involved.
We need to find a way to speed this up; the current slow pace is becoming tiring and burdensome for everyone involved.
Highlights the collective fatigue caused by a slow-moving situation.
The final exams are `wearing on` me. I feel like I've been studying forever.
The final exams feel like they are dragging on and making me tired. I feel like I've been studying forever.
Expresses the feeling of exhaustion from a long period of academic pressure.
Twelve hours down, six to go. This flight is really `wearing on` my patience.
Twelve hours down, six to go. This flight is really testing my patience and making it feel like a burden.
Focuses on the specific aspect of patience being tested by the lengthy journey.
This website is so slow! It's really `wearing on` my nerves.
This website is so slow! It's really starting to annoy and frustrate me.
Uses the phrase to describe the irritating effect of slow technology.
✗ The holidays are `wearing on` so quickly! → ✓ The holidays are `flying by` so quickly!
✗ The holidays are feeling slow and tedious so quickly! → ✓ The holidays are passing very fast!
Incorrectly applies the phrase to time passing quickly, which is the opposite meaning.
✗ This amazing concert is `wearing on` me. → ✓ This amazing concert is `going on` and on!
✗ This amazing concert feels tedious and tiring to me. → ✓ This amazing concert is continuing for a long time!
Applies the phrase to a positive, enjoyable event, missing the core meaning of tedium.
Editing this 3-hour vlog is seriously `wearing on` me. Send coffee! ☕️
Editing this 3-hour vlog is making me feel very tired and bored. Send coffee! ☕️
A relatable, modern scenario highlighting the fatigue from a prolonged task.
As the negotiations `wear on`, both sides are becoming increasingly fatigued and less willing to compromise.
As the negotiations continue slowly and tediously, both sides are becoming increasingly tired and less willing to compromise.
Describes the detrimental effect of prolonged, slow-moving discussions.
His tantrum has been going on for an hour. It's really `wearing on` my nerves.
His tantrum has been going on for an hour. It's really testing my patience and making me feel stressed.
Shows how the phrase describes the exhausting effect of a difficult situation.
The professor kept talking, and as the lecture `wore on`, more and more students started to nod off.
The professor kept talking, and as the lecture continued slowly and tediously, more and more students started to fall asleep.
Illustrates how the slow passage of time during an event leads to boredom and fatigue.
Test Yourself
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the phrase.
The phrase `wear on` means to pass slowly and tediously, often affecting someone negatively. Here, it describes the tiring effect of the long journey.
Choose the sentence that uses 'wear on' correctly.
Which sentence uses the phrase 'wear on' correctly?
This option correctly uses `wear on` to describe the slow, tiring passage of time in the evening.
Find and fix the error in the sentence.
While 'wearing out' means making someone tired, `wear on` specifically refers to time passing slowly and tediously, which fits the context of a long wait better.
Translate the sentence into English.
`Wear on` captures the feeling of a wait becoming long and tiresome.
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the phrase.
`Wore on` is used here to describe the slow and tedious passage of days, leading to diminished spirits.
Choose the sentence that uses 'wear on' correctly.
Which sentence best describes a situation where time feels slow and burdensome?
This option correctly uses `wear on` to describe the tiring and tedious effect of the lecture's slow passage of time on the students.
Find and fix the error in the sentence.
While `wear on` refers to time passing slowly, `wear down` better describes the effect of constant pressure gradually weakening or reducing productivity.
Translate the sentence into English.
`Wear on` effectively conveys the sense of a long wait becoming a burden or tedious.
Put the words in the correct order.
The sentence structure `This is wearing on me` is a common way to express that something is becoming tiresome or burdensome.
Match the phrase with its meaning.
Understanding the nuances between these 'wear' phrases helps you use them accurately.
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the phrase.
`Wore on` is appropriate here to describe the slow, arduous passage of time under difficult conditions, impacting their hope.
Choose the sentence that uses 'wear on' correctly.
Which sentence correctly conveys the feeling of time passing slowly and becoming a burden?
This option accurately uses `wear on` to describe the tedious and tiring effect of a long, monotonous journey on people.
🎉 Score: /12
Visual Learning Aids
Formality Spectrum for 'Wear On'
Casual chat with friends, texting.
This wait is really wearing on me!
General conversation, emails to colleagues.
As the afternoon wears on, the fatigue sets in.
Professional discussions, reports.
The prolonged negotiations began to wear on the participants.
Rarely used in highly formal contexts.
The protracted proceedings wore on.
Situations Where 'Wear On' Fits
Long Commute
This traffic jam is really wearing on me.
Boring Meeting
As the meeting wears on, I lose focus.
Extended Travel
This 10-hour flight is wearing on my patience.
Difficult Project
The final phase of the project is wearing on the team.
Waiting Period
The wait for the results is wearing on.
Monotonous Task
Sorting these files is really wearing on me.
Comparing 'Wear On' with Similar Phrases
Usage Categories for 'Wear On'
Personal Fatigue
- • Feeling tired from a long day
- • Losing energy during a tedious task
Mental Strain
- • Patience being tested
- • Focus waning during a long event
Situation Duration
- • Prolonged waits
- • Extended journeys
- • Endless meetings
Negative Impact
- • Burdensome time
- • Tiresome passage of hours
Practice Bank
12 exercisesThis long journey is really starting to ______ me.
The phrase `wear on` means to pass slowly and tediously, often affecting someone negatively. Here, it describes the tiring effect of the long journey.
Which sentence uses the phrase 'wear on' correctly?
This option correctly uses `wear on` to describe the slow, tiring passage of time in the evening.
Find and fix the mistake:
The endless wait at the airport is wearing me out quickly.
While 'wearing out' means making someone tired, `wear on` specifically refers to time passing slowly and tediously, which fits the context of a long wait better.
La espera se está haciendo muy larga.
Hints: Think about how the wait feels., Use a phrase for slow, tedious time.
`Wear on` captures the feeling of a wait becoming long and tiresome.
As the days ______ during the lockdown, people's spirits began to flag.
`Wore on` is used here to describe the slow and tedious passage of days, leading to diminished spirits.
Which sentence best describes a situation where time feels slow and burdensome?
This option correctly uses `wear on` to describe the tiring and tedious effect of the lecture's slow passage of time on the students.
Find and fix the mistake:
The constant pressure of the deadline is wearing on my productivity.
While `wear on` refers to time passing slowly, `wear down` better describes the effect of constant pressure gradually weakening or reducing productivity.
La longue attente commençait à peser.
Hints: Consider the feeling of duration., How does the wait affect someone?
`Wear on` effectively conveys the sense of a long wait becoming a burden or tedious.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
Click words above to build the sentence
The sentence structure `This is wearing on me` is a common way to express that something is becoming tiresome or burdensome.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Understanding the nuances between these 'wear' phrases helps you use them accurately.
As the hours ______ in the desert heat, their hope began to fade.
`Wore on` is appropriate here to describe the slow, arduous passage of time under difficult conditions, impacting their hope.
Which sentence correctly conveys the feeling of time passing slowly and becoming a burden?
This option accurately uses `wear on` to describe the tedious and tiring effect of a long, monotonous journey on people.
🎉 Score: /12
Video Tutorials
Find video tutorials on YouTube for this phrase.
Frequently Asked Questions
18 questionsIt means that time is passing slowly and tediously, often to the point where it becomes tiring or burdensome. It's used when a situation feels like it's dragging on and having a negative effect on your mood or energy levels.
It's almost always negative. The core idea is that the slow passage of time is causing discomfort, boredom, or exhaustion. You wouldn't typically use it to describe a fun event that's lasting a long time.
Sure! If you're stuck in a very long and boring meeting, you might say, 'This meeting is really wearing on me.' This means the meeting is dragging on, and it's making you feel tired and impatient.
Use it when you want to describe a situation where time feels like it's passing very slowly and this slowness is making you feel tired, bored, or frustrated. It's perfect for long waits, tedious tasks, or drawn-out events.
Think of long car journeys, endless queues, monotonous work shifts, or prolonged periods of waiting for news. Any situation where the duration itself feels like a burden is a good candidate for using wear on.
No, it's generally used for periods that feel significantly long. A five-minute wait probably wouldn't wear on you, but a two-hour delay might. The key is the feeling of duration becoming tiresome.
Drag on usually describes the event or process itself being excessively long, perhaps longer than expected. Wear on focuses more on the *effect* of that long duration on a person's feelings, like tiredness or impatience.
Take a toll emphasizes the damaging effect on someone's health, mental state, or resources. Wear on is more about the feeling of tedium and slowness caused by time passing, though it can lead to feeling worn down.
Yes, that's a perfectly natural way to use it! It emphasizes that the passage of time itself is becoming a burden. You could also say 'The days are wearing on' if you're talking about a long period.
It's quite versatile and fits comfortably in most neutral situations. You might use it in casual conversation with friends or in slightly more formal contexts like a work meeting, but probably not in very official documents.
You'll often hear wear someone out (to make someone very tired) and wear thin (when patience or resources are running low). For example, 'This constant waiting is wearing me out and my patience is wearing thin.'
Not directly. You can say a situation or the passage of time is wearing on someone, but you wouldn't say 'He is wearing on.' That doesn't make sense in this context.
If you use it for time passing quickly or for a positive, exciting event, it will sound very strange. For example, saying 'The fun party is wearing on me!' would confuse people because the party is supposed to be enjoyable, not tedious.
Yes, absolutely! Think of how clothes wear out with use. The phrase implies that time, like constant use, gradually diminishes your energy, patience, or spirit.
A common mistake is using it for fast time. For instance, saying 'The weekend is wearing on so fast!' is incorrect. You should say 'The weekend is flying by!' because wear on implies slowness.
You might see it in comments or posts about long waits for online services, slow internet, or even just the feeling of a long day of scrolling. For example, 'This loading screen is wearing on me.'
While wear on is widely understood across English-speaking regions, the frequency of use might vary slightly. However, its core meaning related to tedious time passage remains consistent.
It can sometimes imply a subtle, almost imperceptible erosion of morale or enthusiasm over a long period. It's not just about boredom; it's about the slow drain of positive feelings as time passes.
Related Phrases
drag on
synonymTo continue for too long, especially in a boring or tedious way.
Both phrases describe events or situations that last longer than desired and become tedious, but 'drag on' often emphasizes the excessive length more.
take a toll
related topicTo have a serious negative effect on someone or something.
While 'wear on' focuses on the slow passage of time being tedious, 'take a toll' emphasizes the significant negative consequences or damage resulting from a situation.
wear someone out
related topicTo make someone extremely tired.
This is a common variation focusing on the physical or mental exhaustion caused, whereas 'wear on' focuses on time itself feeling burdensome.
get old
related topicTo become boring or tiresome because it has happened or been repeated too often.
This phrase applies when something loses its novelty and becomes boring through repetition, whereas 'wear on' applies to the general slow passage of time.
pass slowly
formal versionTo elapse at a slow rate.
'Pass slowly' is a more direct and neutral description, lacking the emotional weight and negative connotation of tedium inherent in 'wear on'.
be a drag
related topicTo be boring, tedious, or annoying.
This phrase describes something that is boring or annoying, similar to the feeling evoked by time that 'wears on', but 'wear on' specifically relates to the passage of time.
