a. Forms: 5 werysom, 6 weerysom, werisum, wearisom, 7 wearysome, 6– wearisome. [f. WEARY v. and a. + -SOME.]
† 1. Weary; showing signs of weariness. Obs.
c. 1450. J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, 751. The sotelte a man with sikelle in his hande, In a ryvere of watur stande wrapped in wedes in a werysom wyse.
c. 1475. Partenay, 4406. Hyt declare and tell shall my wer[y]som gost.
1561. T. Hoby, trans. Castiglione’s Courtyer, II. (1577), K iv b. At banckettes they refreshed their weerysome mindes, in those high discourses and diuine imaginations of theirs.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., II. 49. The wearisome creatures of the world declining to their rest.
a. 1656. Ussher, Ann., VI. (1658), 190. They came, and saw no attendance about him, onely a decrepit and wearisom old man, lying along upon the beach.
2. Causing weariness through monotony, or the continuance of uncongenial circumstances; tedious.
1450–1530. Myrr. Our Ladye, 55. The remedy hereof [undevotion] ys … to abyde vpon the tretable sayng of theyre seruice, be yt neuer so werysom.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. xii. 32. This is … The worlds sweet In, from paine and wearisome turmoyle.
1596. Ralegh, Discov. Guiana, 97. It is nowe time to returne towardes the North, and we founde it a wearisome way backe.
a. 1653. Binning, Sinner’s Sanct., xxix. Wks. (1735), 316/2. What is your Life, but a tedious and wearisome Repetition of such brutish Actions which only terminate on the Body?
a. 1699. Temple, Health & Long Life, Wks. 1720, I. 288. All will allow … the several Conditions of Fortune to be all wearysome, dull or disagreeable without good Humour.
1782. Miss Burney, Cecilia, VII. vi. Simplicity uninformed, becomes wearisome.
1822. Lamb, Elia, Ser. II. Conf. Drunkard. A forecast of the wearisome day that lies before me.
1825. Scott, Betrothed, xxii. It was impossible for life to glide away in more wearisome monotony than at the castle of the Garde Doloureuse.
1883. ‘Ouida,’ Wanda, I. 218. The ceremonies of a court are wearisome to me.
1891. Speaker, 2 May, 533/2. The author might do much better if he would give up this wearisome murder-mongering, and take a fresh subject.
1902. Spectator, 11 Oct., 520/1. At almost wearisome length we have endeavoured to set forth the Opposition case from the mouths of the leaders of various aspects of thought among those who are opposed to the present Government.
b. of a speaker or writer.
1573. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (Camden), 35. I persaiv how werisum and tœdius I have bene unto your wurship.
1634. W. Tirwhyt, trans. Balzac’s Lett., I. 43. Were it not that I feare to be wearisome unto you, I should never make an end of my newes.
1841–4. Emerson, Ess., Intellect, Wks. (Bohn), I. 141. How wearisome the … political or religious fanatic … whose balance is lost by the exaggeration of a single topic.
3. Causing weariness from bodily or mental exertion or protracted pain; fatiguing, exhausting. Now somewhat rare.
1594. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., I. vii. § 7. The roote hereof, diuine malediction; whereby the instruments being weakned wherewithall the soule (especially in reasoning) doth worke, it preferreth rest in ignorance before wearisome labour to knowe.
1691. Ray, Creation, II. (1692), 4. The Head … would have been very painful and wearisome to carry, if the Neck had lain parallel or inclining to the Horizon.
1703. M. Warwick, in Baynard, Cold Bathing, II. 297. A weak and wearisom Pain, together with a soreness upon the Part.
1750. Johnson, Idler, No. 6, ¶ 2. There was once a time when Wreaths of Bays or Oak were considered as recompences equal to the more wearisome labours.
1751. Labelye, Westm. Br., 66. Their great Trouble, Care, and wearisome Attendance.
1883. Josephine E. Butler, Autob., xii. (1909), 177. I climbed up the wearisome gallery stairs.
1916. F. E. Shipway, in Lancet, 8 Jan., 73/2. The hand-bellows is of such a size that it fills the hand comfortably, and continuous pumping is not wearisome.
