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Synonyms

worse for wear

Idioms  

  1. Also, the worse for the wear. In poor physical condition owing to long use; also, drunk. For example, This television set is really worse for the wear; we'll have to replace it, or He'd better not drive home; he's definitely the worse for the wear. [c. a.d. 1000] For an antonym, see none the worse for.

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.

German biathlete Justus Strelow, who won bronze in the mixed relay on Sunday, happened to catch the moment his medal came out the worse for wear after celebrating with his teammates.

From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026

Today, in 1889, he looks a bit worse for wear; his skin seems to have the texture of wicker.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

Dental exams on captured or deceased otters also found tool-using otters had relatively little tooth damage, whereas the teeth of their less handy brethren were much worse for wear.

From Science Magazine • May 15, 2024

Compared with control samples, the samples that got the aging treatment emerged looking the worse for wear.

From Science Daily • Apr. 29, 2024

The large white two-story building with the turrets on either side was a little worse for wear, maybe, but it was, without a doubt, the very same building from the old pictures on the jars.

From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff

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.