[Idiom] WEAR THIN. - Understanding Frustration and Boredom in Conversations
Wear thin.
lose patience or interest
The idiom 'wear thin' is often used when someone's patience, interest, or enthusiasm about a particular situation or person begins to diminish. Initially, you might handle a repetitive or boring situation well, but over time, your tolerance starts to 'wear thin'—much like clothing or fabric gets thinner with use. For example, if a coworker keeps repeating the same annoying joke, your initially mild amusement might wear thin, leading to irritation. It's a vivid metaphor for demonstrating how continuous, unchanging stimuli can lead to a decrease in emotional sustainability.
Example Sentences
Their excuses are starting to wear thin with the boss.
Their excuses are becoming less believable to the boss.
His patience began to wear thin after the repeated delays.
His patience was running out due to repeated delays.
The constant complaints are wearing thin on everyone.
The continuous complaints are annoying everyone.