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.
"People are exhausted and worn out," a 32-year-old lawyer in Sanaa told AFP, asking not to be named.
From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026
Osteoarthritis is not simply about "worn out" joints.
From Science Daily • Mar. 4, 2026
“It’s gone beyond political to exhaustion. ‘I’m just worn out.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 4, 2026
"We are worn out, we have been set back decades, but we are not even on the Pope's mind," he said, echoing the views of some others in southern Lebanon.
From BBC • Nov. 30, 2025
The whole gown was about as worn out as an old dishrag, but I wasn’t about to start complaining.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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.
