worn

¹

[ wawrn ]

adjective

1. diminished in value or usefulness through wear, use, handling, etc.:

   The car's front tires were very worn, with little tread left.

2. showing a considerable level of use or wear:

   He read his speech from two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been folded and unfolded many times.

3. wearied; exhausted:

   She looked worn but joyful as she held her newborn daughter.

   Synonyms: spent, tired, fatigued

verb

1. the past participle of wear.

-worn

²

1. a combining form with the meaning “showing a specified level of use, deterioration, or consumption”:

   Before you toss that little-worn top, consider if it could be given a second life.

2. a combining form with the meaning “showing wear, deterioration, or exhaustion from a specified cause”:

   The old bridges fit the landscape, maybe because they are as windworn and aged as the land around them.

   The knights were weary and battleworn when they returned to the castle.

worn

/ wɔːn /

verb

1. the past participle of wear 1

adjective

1. affected, esp adversely, by long use or action

   a worn suit

2. haggard; drawn
3. exhausted; spent

Derived Forms

• ˈwornness, noun

Other Words From

• worn·ness noun
• self-worn adjective
• un·worn adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of worn¹

First recorded in 1500–10, for the adjective

Example Sentences

She has a prescription of plus nine in one eye and has previously worn an eye patch to help save her sight in it.

From BBC

The jury’s been shown police body worn camera footage in which Mr Thomas, wearing a heavily blood stained top, told police he had been hurt and was acting in self-defence.

From BBC

“It was important to me that lots of the clothes were lived and worn in; clothes that people have experienced wearing in those environments,” adds Snell.

From Los Angeles Times

The exact same dress had previously been worn by US rapper Eve at the 2000 Soul Train Awards.

From BBC

Across the UK, poppies are worn each year to mark Remembrance events and commemorate those who lost their lives in two world wars and other conflicts.

From BBC

Related Words

• frayed
• shabby
• tattered
• threadbare
• timeworn
• well-worn