well-worn
Americanadjective
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showing the effects of extensive use or wear.
well-worn carpets.
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trite, hackneyed, or stale.
a well-worn saying.
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fittingly or becomingly worn or borne.
a well-worn reserve that never seems haughty.
adjective
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so much used as to be affected by wear
a well-worn coat
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used too often; hackneyed
a well-worn phrase
Etymology
Origin of well-worn
First recorded in 1615–25
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.
Even more impressively, Rock has his own spin on the Hollywood industry movie, a well-worn format that’s fresh in the right hands.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
It also calls to mind a well-worn saying in gasoline markets: Prices rise like a rocket, and come down like a feather.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
Bear in mind, this is the perspective of an awkward wallflower surrounded by too-cool gothlings clutching well-worn copies of Rice’s books.
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026
She recalled being surprised by how scruffily dressed the businessman was when she met him, finding him in flip-flops, some well-worn red shorts and a T-shirt.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
A well-worn green cloak, stained by salt and spray and faded from the sun, draped his thin shoulders, over brown doublet and breeches that matched brown eyes and hair.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
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.
