Engineering English
Fatigue
Mechanical Engineering · Aerospace Engineering · Engineering Fundamentals · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: The progressive and localized structural damage that occurs when a material is subjected to cyclic loading. It leads to crack initiation and growth, potentially causing failure.
Example in context
“Fatigue analysis is critical for rotating machinery components like shafts that experience millions of load cycles over their lifetime.”
“Yorulma analizi, ömürleri boyunca milyonlarca yük döngüsüne maruz kalan miller gibi döner makine bileşenleri için kritiktir.”
Where engineers use it
Fatigue assessment is vital in mechanical design for parts under repeated loading, such as gears and springs. Engineers use S-N curves and damage accumulation models to predict fatigue life.
Synonyms: cyclic fatigue, material fatigue
In Aerospace Engineering
Fatigue is the weakening of a material caused by cyclic loading, leading to progressive and localized structural damage. It is a primary failure mode in aircraft components subjected to repeated stress.
“Fatigue cracks were detected in the lower wing skin after 15,000 flight cycles during the inspection.”
In Engineering Fundamentals
The progressive weakening and eventual cracking of a material caused by repeated cycles of loading and unloading.
“Repeated loading cycles caused fatigue cracks to form near the welded joint of the frame.”
Practice: can you use “Fatigue” at work?
A design engineer is evaluating a new automotive suspension spring. They must determine if the spring will survive the expected number of service cycles without fatigue failure.
Show a model answer
“We need to perform a fatigue analysis on the crankshaft to ensure its durability.”
“Fatigue” in 21 languages
| English | Fatigue |
|---|---|
| Turkish | yorulma |
| French | fatigue |
| German | Ermüdung |
| Spanish | fatiga |
| Chinese | 疲劳 |
| Arabic | الإجهاد (كليل) |
| Portuguese | fadiga |
| Russian | усталость |
| Japanese | 疲労 |
| Italian | fatica |
| Vietnamese | mỏi |
| Hindi | थकान |
| Thai | ความล้า |
| Indonesian | kelelahan |
| Korean | 피로 |
| Bengali | ক্লান্তি |
| Dutch | vermoeiing |
| Swedish | utmattning |
| Finnish | väsyminen |
| Ukrainian | втома |
Frequently asked questions
What does Fatigue mean in engineering?
The progressive and localized structural damage that occurs when a material is subjected to cyclic loading. It leads to crack initiation and growth, potentially causing failure. In Mechanical Engineering, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Fatigue?
Fatigue is pronounced /fəˈtiːɡ/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Fatigue used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “Fatigue analysis is critical for rotating machinery components like shafts that experience millions of load cycles over their lifetime.”
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