aþreotan

• þrēotan

ā- (intensive prefix) + þrēotan (“weary, annoy”).

Cognate with Old Saxon thriotan, athriotan, Dutch verdrieten, German verdrießen and Old Norse þrjóta (whence also Icelandic þrjóta and Swedish tryta). Related to o-grade iterative verb Old English þrēatian (“to threaten, to push”).

• IPA^(key): /ɑːˈθre͜oː.tɑn/

āþrēotan

1. to be annoying, to be loathsome
   • Gospels Th. 152, 30

     Hȳ tō ǣr aþrēat, ðæt hȳ waldendes willan lǣsten

     it too soon displeased them, that they should execute their sovereign's will

2. to weary
   • Ælfric's Grammar 33

     Me aþrȳt

     it wearies me, I am weary

3. to bore
   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy

     Iċ onġiete þæt iċ þē hæbbe āþrotenne mid þȳ langan spelle, for þon þē lyst nū lēoða.

     I see I've bored you with that long argument, since you want poems now.

Used impersonally to suggest personal weariness.