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

At a station in Indian Punjab, a police official recognised Amarnath and gave him a kada - a steel bangle worn by Sikhs and many Hindus as a religious symbol.

From BBC

Out of the final six to 10 pairs that were made, four pairs worn in the movie are believed to have survived.

From BBC

Inside the care sector itself, one leader says people are “worn” by the debate between different parts of government when the need for change is urgent.

From BBC

"I had never worn jeans or a wig before - so I was happy, and I was dancing."

From BBC

Accelerometers worn on the wrist are imperfect at detecting posture and therefore may misclassify standing time as sedentary time.

From Science Daily

Related Words

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