worn

¹

[ wawrn ]

adjective

1. diminished in value or usefulness through wear, use, handling, etc.:

   The car's front tires were very worn, with little tread left.

2. 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.

3. wearied; exhausted:

   She looked worn but joyful as she held her newborn daughter.

   Synonyms: spent, tired, fatigued

verb

1. the past participle of wear.

-worn

²

1. 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.

2. 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.

worn

/ wɔːn /

verb

1. See wear
   the past participle of wear 1

adjective

1. affected, esp adversely, by long use or action

   a worn suit

2. haggard; drawn
3. exhausted; spent

Derived Forms

• ˈwornness, noun

Other Words From

• worn·ness noun
• self-worn adjective
• un·worn adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of worn¹

First recorded in 1500–10, for the adjective

Example Sentences

Mrs. Kouachi works at a nursery and has worn the veil since she made the pilgrimage to Mecca in 2008.

From The Daily Beast

“The novelty of David Duke has worn off,” said Scalise then.

From The Daily Beast

The carpeting is worn, the furniture is falling apart, and the electricity is out for most of the day.

From The Daily Beast

The cap devices on thousands of identical hats glinted in the late morning sun along with the shields worn by each of the cops.

From The Daily Beast

It is also the one worn by Presidents Eisenhower, Truman, and George W. Bush.

From The Daily Beast

She herself had worn them in her youth, and they were the proper bonnets for "growing girls."

From Project Gutenberg

The well-worn aphorism of the Frenchman, “History repeats itself,” was about to assert itself.

From Project Gutenberg

Her worn-out blue petticoat is lighted up by a moonbeam; in her hand she appears to have a hoe.

From Project Gutenberg

Her "St. Agnes" is an interesting rendering of a well-worn subject.

From Project Gutenberg

But all you can think of are the horror stories about the worn out genes of Earth.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• frayed
• shabby
• tattered
• threadbare
• timeworn
• well-worn