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.
Hundreds of watches, an encyclopedic knowledge of the movie and its production, a worn-out DVD copy hanging on by a thread, and a whole career later, I still owe it everything.
From Salon • May 1, 2026
Derenne noticed some sagging on the roof and worn-out shingles during their first showing at the house the Johnsons ended up buying.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 12, 2025
It’s a clever line, but worn-out New Jerseyans seeking a change might be more likely to turn out if they knew how he’d deliver.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025
On top of that, Monza was resurfaced before last year's race, and the new surface has more grip than the old, worn-out one on which Hamilton set the previous record.
From BBC • Sep. 6, 2025
Wash brought them the things they needed, worn-out clothes from his mother’s scrap bin, heavy wire to connect the limbs, armfuls of straw they could pack into the sleeves and pant legs.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
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.
