ermüdend
tiring
Physically or mentally demanding and making you tired.
EXAMPLE
Die lange Wanderung durch die Berge war sehr ermüdend.
The long hike through the mountains was very tiring.
ermüdend
tiring
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Meanings
ermüdend
tedious
Boring and monotonous, so that over time it becomes exhausting.
EXAMPLE
Das stundenlange Ausfüllen der Formulare war eine ermüdende Angelegenheit.
Filling out the forms for hours was a tedious affair.
Usage tips
From verb to adjective
'Ermüdend' (tiring) is the present participle of the verb 'ermüden' (to tire). It describes an activity or thing that has the quality of making you tired. Many German adjectives are formed this way with the ending '-end'.
EXAMPLE
Die stundenlange Autofahrt im Stau war sehr ermüdend.
The hours-long car ride in traffic was very tiring.
Word family
The adjective 'müde' (tired) is contained in the word 'ermüdend' (tiring). The prefix 'er-' here expresses that something is brought into the state of being 'müde' (tired). Recognizing 'müde' helps with understanding.
EXAMPLE
Diese sich ständig wiederholende Aufgabe ist wirklich ermüdend.
This constantly repeating task is really tiring.
Context clue
Whether 'ermüdend' (tiring/tedious) means physical exertion or mental monotony is revealed by the context. With physical activities like 'Wanderung' (hike), it is about physical tiredness. With 'Diskussion' (discussion) or 'Vortrag' (lecture/presentation), it usually refers to mental fatigue caused by boredom.
EXAMPLE
Das Training war kurz, aber sehr ermüdend.
The training session was short but very tiring.
Typical collocations
In the sense of physically demanding, 'ermüdend' (tiring) is often connected with activities or conditions. Typical phrases are 'eine ermüdende Reise' (a tiring journey), 'ein ermüdender Aufstieg' (a tiring climb), or 'eine ermüdende Arbeit' (tiring work).
EXAMPLE
Nach dem ermüdenden Aufstieg genossen wir die Aussicht vom Gipfel.
After the tiring climb, we enjoyed the view from the summit.
Typical collocations
When 'ermüdend' (tedious) describes boredom, it is often used with nouns related to mental processes or communication. Common phrases are 'eine ermüdende Debatte' (a tedious debate), 'ein ermüdender Film' (a tedious film), or 'ermüdende Routineaufgaben' (tedious routine tasks).
EXAMPLE
Das Warten in der Schlange war eine ermüdende Erfahrung.
Waiting in line was a tedious experience.
Compare with
ermüdend vs langweilig
boring
A monotonous task can be both langweilig (boring) and ermüdend (tiring). Langweilig mainly describes the lack of interest; ermüdend emphasizes here that the monotony becomes exhausting over time. Depending on the effect you mean, one of the two words may therefore be a better fit in the same context.
ermüdend
Das ständige Sortieren ähnlicher Dokumente ist ermüdend, weil die Eintönigkeit auf Dauer anstrengt.
Sorting similar documents over and over is tiring because the monotony becomes exhausting over time.
langweilig
Das ständige Sortieren ähnlicher Dokumente ist langweilig, weil dabei nichts Neues passiert.
Sorting similar documents over and over is boring because nothing new happens.
In real life
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