moth-eaten

American  

[mawth-eet-n, moth-] / ˈmɔθˌit n, ˈmɒθ- /

adjective

1. eaten or damaged by or as if by the larvae of moths.

2. decayed or worn out.

3. out of fashion; antiquated.

---

moth-eaten British  

adjective

1. decayed, decrepit, or outdated

2. eaten away by or as if by moths

---

Other Word Forms

• unmoth-eaten
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of moth-eaten

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Example Sentences

"We used it, and they're still standing. So what are we going to threaten them with?"

From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026

Hadavi told BBC Verify that the "psychological implication" of increasing FPV strikes appears to be significant on Israeli troops, given their capacity to threaten highly protected armoured vehicles.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

And they have watched how Iran’s low-cost drones have been able to threaten the U.S.’s heavily fortified Gulf allies—a potential advantage for China in a Taiwan contingency.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

Patel has some group and individual endorsements but none with the deep pockets he’d probably need to threaten Melvoin.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

Essentially, my job was to make sure they didn’t do anything to threaten security, such as drop tools to inmates or leave out dangerous equipment.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover