(the) worse for wear

idiom

: in worse condition after doing or experiencing something

He came out of basic training only slightly the worse for wear.

The kids emerged from the woods looking none the worse for wear.

Examples of (the) worse for wear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s a harsh, briny tang to Ingolfsdottir’s writing in such scenes, with the film’s most authentic confrontations leaving all concerned parties — not to mention the audience — worse for wear. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 July 2024

He is returned to his wife and kids less than a week later, only slightly worse for wear, and the family begins the hard work of moving on with their lives. —Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 21 June 2024

Instead, air drying them or running them through a no-heat dryer cycle will leave them clean, crisp, and no worse for wear. —Abby Wilson, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 May 2024

If Peña look spruce but worse for wear, little wonder. —John Hopewell, Variety, 15 May 2024