fatiguer

Fatiguer is a French verb meaning to tire, exhaust, or weary. It is transitive, used with a direct object to indicate what fatigues someone or something, and it can be used literally (to tire someone or a physical effort) or figuratively (to wear someone down mentally). The reflexive form se fatiguer means to become tired or to tire oneself.

Typical constructions include fatiguer quelqu'un, as in Ce travail me fatigue, or fatiguer quelque chose, as in L'ascension fatiguerait les jambes. The reflexive form se fatiguer expresses the speaker’s own fatigue: Je me fatigue facilement when I overexert myself.

Conjugation follows standard patterns of French -er verbs. Present indicative: je fatigue, tu fatigues, il/elle fatigue, nous fatiguons, vous fatiguez, ils/elles fatiguent. Passé composé: j'ai fatigué; imparfait: je fatiguais; plus-que-parfait: j'avais fatigué. Subjonctif présent: que je fatigue, que tu fatigues, qu'il fatigue, que nous fatiguions, que vous fatigiez, qu'ils fatiguent. Impératif: fatigue, fatiguons, fatiguez. The pronominal form is: je me fatigue, tu te fatigues, il se fatigue, nous nous fatiguons, vous vous fatiguez, ils se fatiguent.

Etymology: from fatigue, via Old French fatiguer, related to the noun fatigue. The noun fatigue exists in French as well; adjectives include fatigable (prone to fatigue) and fatigant (tiring).

Usage notes: fatigue is common in physical contexts (fatiguer les muscles) and in figurative contexts (fatiguer l'attention, fatigue morale). In everyday language, synonyms include épuiser, lasser, or agacer depending on nuance.