- past participle of wear.
worn
1 Americanadjective
-
diminished in value or usefulness through wear, use, handling, etc..
The car's front tires were very worn, with little tread left.
-
showing a considerable level of use or wear.
He read his speech from two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been folded and unfolded many times.
-
wearied; exhausted.
She looked worn but joyful as she held her newborn daughter.
verb
-
a combining form with the meaning “showing a specified level of use, deterioration, or consumption”.
Before you toss that little-worn top, consider if it could be given a second life.
-
a combining form with the meaning “showing wear, deterioration, or exhaustion from a specified cause”.
The old bridges fit the landscape, maybe because they are as windworn and aged as the land around them.
The knights were weary and battleworn when they returned to the castle.
verb
adjective
-
affected, esp adversely, by long use or action
a worn suit
-
haggard; drawn
-
exhausted; spent
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of worn
First recorded in 1500–10, for the adjective
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
There were many changes while he was away—from the battalion commander to the style of uniform worn by Ukraine’s army.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
He has only worn the number 12 shirt for Gloucester on one occasion this season, and started just once at inside centre for Wales in a World Cup warm-up game against England in August 2023.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
An elegant woman gazes out from her portrait with expressive eyes, a gilded wreath worn in her hair and a gentle, questioning look on her face.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
A conventional glucose sensor, similar to those worn on the upper arm by many people with diabetes, continuously measures glucose concentrations in tissue.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026
Because now all that remained of Molly Lewis was this star, so worn down from foot traffic it was difficult to read even in broad daylight.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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War′-wast′ed, laid waste or ravaged by war; War′-wea′ried, -worn, wearied, worn, with military service—of a veteran.—ns.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various
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