tiring room: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very LowHistorical / Technical (Theatre)
Quick answer
What does “tiring room” mean?
A backstage room in a theatre where actors change costumes and prepare for performances.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A backstage room in a theatre where actors change costumes and prepare for performances.
Historically, a dressing room or backstage area in a theatre, primarily from the Elizabethan and Jacobean era. The term 'tiring' derives from 'attiring' (dressing), not from causing fatigue.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is equally archaic in both variants. No modern distinction exists.
Connotations
Connotes historical authenticity, Shakespearean theatre, or period-specific academic discussion.
Frequency
Extremely rare in contemporary usage, appearing almost exclusively in historical texts, theatre history, or tours of old playhouses like Shakespeare's Globe.
Grammar
How to Use “tiring room” in a Sentence
[Theatre] had a tiring roomThe actors waited in the tiring room[Costume] was stored in the tiring roomVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “tiring room” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The actor was tiring of the long rehearsals.
- She found the constant travel quite tiring.
American English
- The player was tiring in the fourth quarter.
- He found the data entry work tiring.
adverb
British English
- The team played tiringly in the second half.
- He worked tiringly through the night.
American English
- She ran tiringly in the humid heat.
- The crew labored tiringly to meet the deadline.
adjective
British English
- It was a long and tiring journey from Cornwall.
- She had a tiring day at the office.
American English
- It was a tiring cross-country flight.
- Moving boxes is tiring work.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in theatre history, Shakespeare studies, and architectural history of performance spaces.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
A precise term for a specific room in reconstructions or descriptions of early modern English theatres.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “tiring room”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “tiring room”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “tiring room”
- Misinterpreting 'tiring' as related to exhaustion. Using it to describe a modern dressing room. Using it as an adjective-noun phrase (e.g., 'a tiring meeting room').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The word 'tiring' is an archaic shortening of 'attiring' (dressing). It is a room for putting on costumes and attire.
No. Modern theatres use terms like 'dressing room', 'green room', or 'backstage'. 'Tiring room' is a historical term specific to early modern English theatre (16th-17th centuries).
A tiring room was specifically for changing costumes. A green room is a lounge where actors can relax before or after going on stage, not primarily for changing.
You would only encounter it in academic works on theatre history, historical novels set in the period, or during tours/descriptions of reconstructed theatres like Shakespeare's Globe in London.
A backstage room in a theatre where actors change costumes and prepare for performances.
Tiring room is usually historical / technical (theatre) in register.
Tiring room: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtaɪərɪŋ ˌruːm/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtaɪərɪŋ ˌrum/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'attiring' (putting on attire/clothes) becoming 'tiring'. The tiring room is where actors get 'attired' for the stage.
Conceptual Metaphor
NOT APPLICABLE. This is a concrete, technical term.
Practice
Quiz
What is the origin of 'tiring' in 'tiring room'?