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Synonyms

world-weary

American  
[wurld-weer-ee] / ˈwɜrldˌwɪər i /

adjective

  1. weary of the world; bored with existence, material pleasures, etc.


world-weary British  

adjective

  1. no longer finding pleasure in living; tired of the world

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of world-weary

First recorded in 1760–70

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.

The world-weary consumer of news might reasonably wonder if we’re headed into another version of climate alarmism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

Buggy Bear is no exception, the giant bear’s face looks world-weary and slightly apologetic.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2025

She emerged from the experience battle-scarred and world-weary in 1979 and used her worn-down voice to great effect in a blast of future-forward new wave music called "Broken English."

From Salon • Jan. 30, 2025

For “Stress Positions,” the writer-director Theda Hammel shows her hand when a character says, in a world-weary voice-over, that the madness we’re about to witness “happened so long ago.”

From New York Times • Apr. 18, 2024

He was slow and flaccid, with the kind of world-weary negativism you might find in employees behind the counter of a fast-food restaurant at a highway rest stop.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

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