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• worn-out
  worn-out

  adjective

  worn or used beyond repair.
• worn out
  worn out

  see wear out.

worn-out

American  

[wawrn-out, wohrn-] / ˈwɔrnˈaʊt, ˈwoʊrn- /

adjective

1. worn or used beyond repair.

2. depleted of energy, strength, or enthusiasm; exhausted; fatigued.

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worn-out British  

adjective

1. worn or used until threadbare, valueless, or useless

2. exhausted; very weary

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worn out Idioms  

1. see wear out.

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Etymology

Origin of worn-out

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

worn-out worn out

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

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

But any film that hinges on its cast to prop up a worn-out narrative should be approached with suspicion, if approached at all.

From Salon ● Jan. 4, 2026

We remain flattened on the worn-out, dusty blue carpet of the bank, and Marv and I are looking at each other with eyes that argue.

From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak

He was worn out from not being able to sleep due to the "constant noise."

From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 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

The question is how can we take care of others when we are worn out?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 10, 2026

The saying might have worn out of my memory, had not a circumstance immediately followed which served indelibly to fix it there.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Related Words

• battered
• crumbling
• decaying
• dilapidated
• run-down
• worn