Definition
A feeling of being very tired, usually after working hard or doing too much.
Example
Depois de trabalhar o dia todo, o cansaço foi enorme.
Show translation
After working all day, the tiredness was overwhelming.
Etymology
From the verb *cansar* ("to tire"), itself from Latin *campsāre* ("to round a cape, to exert effort"), which blended with Vulgar Latin *lassāre*. The suffix *-aço* in Portuguese forms nouns expressing a result or augmented state of an action, so *cansaço* literally means "the state produced by tiring oneself."
Cultural note
Brazilians use *cansaço* freely in casual speech — you might hear "Que cansaço!" (What exhaustion!) as a standalone exclamation after a long day, much like English speakers say "I'm beat." It often implies not just physical tiredness but emotional fatigue too. Don't confuse *cansaço* (the noun, "tiredness") with *cansado* (the adjective, "tired") — English learners sometimes mix them up.