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.
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
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
Her lyrical descriptions bring fresh poignancy to well-worn scenes of exile, though her narrative slackens a little on foreign terrain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
Jost’s Hegseth stuck to a now well-worn bit: an oversized glass of “scotch” in hand, he “took questions” from the press while mostly ignoring them, pivoting instead to insults and non-answers.
From Salon ● May 3, 2026
He pulled out a well-worn deck from his suit pocket, with Big Ben’s image on the back.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
