worn-out
adjective
worn or used beyond repair.
worn-out
American
[wawrn-out, wohrn-]
/ ˈwɔrnˈaʊt, ˈwoʊrn- /
adjective
-
worn or used beyond repair.
-
depleted of energy, strength, or enthusiasm; exhausted; fatigued.
worn-out
British
adjective
-
worn or used until threadbare, valueless, or useless
-
exhausted; very weary
worn out
Idioms
Etymology
Origin of worn-out
First recorded in 1585–95
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.
See Examples For:
Fans sit on plastic chairs arranged on the sandy floor, their chatter mingling with the hum of a worn-out generator.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
Our bodies have a mechanism for rebuilding worn-out or damaged tissue, replacing whole sections of our selves annually.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
During the winter, temperatures dropped to -25C, so old, worn-out sleepings bags were of little use when they slept on the frozen ground or a cold concrete floor.
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
Her look evolves from a worn-out cog to a biker-like granny who’d seem natural riding on the back of Dennis Hopper’s hog.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026
I grabbed my worn-out pocket dictionary from the stack and set it next to it.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
Residents say the end can’t come soon enough and that the cold storage industry behemoth has already worn out its welcome.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Trump has also announced plans to renovate what he described as a "dilapidated, worn out" golf course in Washington called East Potomac Golf Links, saying it could host major tournaments when the work is complete.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Its largely reservist army is worn out from redeployments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 15, 2026
Osteoarthritis is not simply about "worn out" joints.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 4, 2026
Torak was nearly worn out; he’d never have had the strength to start one afresh.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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.
