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.
A trip to the continent is a well-worn path for U.S. elites.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Rocket Lab is following a well-worn path by SpaceX, which has analysts cheering on its future as an “emerging space platform.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
Only one of them, Sean “Poopies” McInerney, a surf bro so gullible that I’m not sure he’s capable of informed legal consent, fits into “Best and Last” like a well-worn punching bag.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 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
It was well-worn but narrow enough that we had to walk single file.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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.
