careworn
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of careworn
Explanation
A person who's careworn is so tired that it shows on her face. New parents who have been up all night with a crying baby often appear careworn. Nights of interrupted sleep, working a late shift, and traveling a long distance can all make you a bit careworn. Simply fretting or worrying about something is another way for your expression to be careworn. The word emerged in the 19th century, from care, with its Old English root caru, "sorrow or anxiety," and worn, from its sense of worn out, or exhausted.
Vocabulary lists containing careworn
The Boys in the Boat
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Bomb
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Norse Mythology
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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.
"We know our path now," says Ahmed Alhashemi, 42, scrolling through the email, a small smile breaking across his careworn face.
From BBC • Oct. 2, 2025
There's the careworn, eccentric female lead, equally brilliantly realized by newcomer to the screen, Alana Haim.
From Salon • Mar. 19, 2022
He appeared careworn and weathered, at once eternally pugilistic and resigned to his fate.
From Washington Post • Feb. 23, 2022
“The main concern was the education of my daughters,” said the 35-year-old, his love for his girls etched on his careworn face.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 30, 2021
Constance knelt to cradle her old friend’s head, and Matthias gently clasped the wrinkled careworn paw.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
