Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| agotador | /aɡotaˈdoɾ/ |
| cansado | /kanˈsado/ |
| cansador | /kansaˈdoɾ/ |
| fatigoso | /fatiˈɡoso/ |
| cansino | /kanˈsino/ |
While agotador refers to something that is exhausting, cansino is used for things that are tiring because they are monotonous, repetitive or annoying. You can also use pesado(a) to describe a situation that is mentally or physically draining.
Which one should you use?
The term agotador is a strong word that is often better translated as 'exhausting' rather than just 'tiring'. In contrast, fatigoso is a more technical or formal way to describe something that causes fatigue. For something that is tedious or tiresome due to repetition, use cansino.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the colloquial expression machacante is used to mean 'really tiring'.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, agotador must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes, such as una tarea agotadora.
How do you pronounce it?
/aɡotaˈdoɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use cansado to mean 'tiring' (the cause of the tiredness). However, cansado actually means 'tired' (the feeling of the person).
Did you know?
- The word agotador comes from the verb agotar, which can also mean 'to drink' a bottle until it is completely empty.
- In Spain, if something is incredibly annoying or repetitive, you might call it machacante. This comes from the verb machacar, which means to crush or pound something repeatedly.
- The word pesado literally means 'heavy', but it is frequently used to describe a person or a situation that is mentally tiring or tiresome. Calling a person pesado implies they are 'heavy' to be around because they are tedious.
Examples in context
- Hoy ha sido un día agotador.Today was very tiring.This sentence is useful for describing a day as being exhausting using agotador.Tatoeba #1771507 by Shishir, translation #864246 by Qt
- Este día fue bastante agotador.This day was exceptionally tiring.Tatoeba #1207548 by cueyayotl, translation #1205360 by Eldad
- Hacer eso es probable que sea cansado.Doing that is likely to be tiring.This sentence is useful for expressing that an action is likely to be tiring using cansado.Tatoeba #6680971 by diegohn, translation #6254030 by CK
- El viaje fue agotadorThe trip was exhausting
- La tarea era tan extenuante que me llevó horas completarlaThe homework was so tiring that it took me hours to complete it
- Fue un día agotador, estoy muy cansadoIt was a tiring day, I'm very tired
- El trabajo en el proyecto final fue agobianteThe work on the final project was exhausting
- El viaje en metro durante la hora punta fue muy pesadoThe metro ride during rush hour was really tiring
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are talking about their long work shifts at a hospital.
- DanielMi turno de noche fue muy agotador.My night shift was very tiring.
- MaríaLo sé, el trabajo en la clínica es agotador.I know, working at the clinic is tiring.
- DanielNecesito descansar un poco.I need to rest a bit.
- MaríaTe lo mereces, Daniel.You deserve it, Daniel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tiring” translations and entries agotador, cansado, cansador, fatigoso, cansino, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries agotador, cansado, cansador, fatigoso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
