1. Home
2. Idioms
3. wear thin

wear thin

---

---

wear thin

to become less effective It was a constant struggle to get him to do his homework, and finally my patience wore thin. The sort of character Hugh plays has been done so many times, it's beginning to wear thin.

See also: thin, wear

wear thin

 

1. if your patience wears thin, you become less and less patient (often in continuous tenses) I've warned you several times about being late and my patience is wearing thin.

2. if a joke, an excuse, or an explanation wears thin, it becomes less effective because it has been used too much (often in continuous tenses) This excuse about not having enough staff to run the trains is wearing rather thin, don't you think?

See also: thin, wear

wear thin

1. Be weakened or diminished gradually, as in My patience is wearing thin. [Late 1800s]

2. Become less convincing, acceptable, or popular, as in His excuses are wearing thin. [First half of 1990s] Both usages transfer the thinning of a physical object, such as cloth, to nonmaterial characteristics.

See also: thin, wear

wear thin

1. To be weakened or eroded gradually: Her patience is wearing thin.

2. To become less convincing, acceptable, or popular, as through repeated use: excuses that are wearing thin.

See also: thin, wear