timeworn

adjective

time·​worn ˈtīm-ˌwȯrn 

1

: worn or impaired by time

timeworn mansions

2

a

: age-old, ancient

timeworn procedures

b

: hackneyed, stale

a timeworn joke

Synonyms of timeworn

• dilapidated
• neglected

Examples of timeworn in a Sentence

a timeworn sweater with holes in the sleeves

The houses on the street are all timeworn and badly in need of repair.

He gave us the same timeworn speech about the need to work hard.

Recent Examples on the Web

Can his loyalists still carry the timeworn Bolivarian revolution forward? —Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2026

Sending money to voters is a timeworn tool for politicians and one that Trump has repeatedly tried to use, including this year. —Josh Boak, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2025

Now the action has spilled onto its main drag, Yaowarat, and the waterfront lanes of Song Wat, where neon signs flicker above timeworn shophouses remade as boutiques, bars, and restaurants. —Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Dec. 2025

The bûche de Noël first originated in 19th-century Parisian pâtisseries, inspired by a timeworn European tradition in which a village or household member scoured the wintry woods for a log massive enough to burn for 12 consecutive days. —Ingu Chen, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for timeworn

• peppercorn
• unicorn
• waterborne
• winterbourne
• adorn
• airborne
• blackthorn
• broomcorn
• buckhorn
• buckthorn
• careworn
• firstborn