worn-out 1 of 2

adjective

ˈwȯrn-ˈau̇t How to pronounce worn-out (audio)
Definition of worn-outnext
1
as in tired
depleted in strength, energy, or freshness worn-out tourists heading back to their hotel after a hard day of sightseeing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tattered
worn or torn into or as if into rags used a worn-out T-shirt for dusting the furniture

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

worn out

2 of 2

verb

past participle of wear out
as in worn
to use up all the physical energy of keeping up with twin toddlers wears me out

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of worn-out
Adjective
Palestinians have long called for mobile homes and caravans to be allowed in to protect them against living in impractical and worn-out tents. — Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026 How cancer starts Cells produce more cells to grow, replace older or worn-out cells or to repair damaged tissues. — Julie Phillippi, The Conversation, 21 July 2025
Verb
Additionally, the internal switches could have fused shut or worn out. — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 6 Aug. 2026 Even if many tread territory already worn out by Comedy Central in the mid-2000s, the sheer density ensures that some of them are bound to hit. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for worn-out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worn-out
  1. tired
  2. tattered
  3. worn
  4. exhausted
  5. ragged
  6. killed
  7. weary
  8. faded
Adjective
  • The new owners took over the keys to a tired and decaying club in the spring and have since overseen a summer renovation that has stretched from assembling a new first-team squad to restoring hot water to Hillsborough.
    — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Despite all that staying power, glycerin and hyaluronic acid keep the full-coverage formula from feeling dry, while caffeine gives tired undereyes a brightening, de-puffing assist.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of tired
Adjective
  • The ferocious character also features shaggy black-and-orange hair that matches his tattered pants, and a large necklace adorned with teeth.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 30 July 2026
  • The trailer finds the film’s protagonists alternately hunting or fleeing the vicious creature — or creatures — through a tattered town known as Hope Harbor, a remote coastal village near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in South Korea.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2026
Definition of tattered
Verb
  • Geles are typically worn at celebratory events, and Starr and photographer Axle Jozeph transform it into an Afrofuturist icon alongside sci-fi lasers.
    — Emanuel Okusanya, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026
  • After roughly 30 years, animal pelts can lose moisture and become brittle, meaning a coat that looks perfectly fine on the rack may begin to tear at stress points or shed once worn regularly.
    — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of worn
Adjective
  • Even Musk, despite his vow to take a chainsaw to the bureaucracy, seemed exhausted by the vastness of what his Department of Government Efficiency had taken on, and abandoned DOGE over a year earlier than planned.
    — Jennifer Pahlka, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Create healthy boundaries around activities that might leave you feeling depleted or exhausted, such as unnecessary social media scrolling.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of exhausted
Adjective
  • Typically depicted with exaggerated features and ragged clothing – or no clothing at all – these children were often shown being chased by alligators or other wild animals.
    — The Conversation, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Sharpen Mower Blades Dull blades create a ragged leaf edge, which is the ideal entry point for diseases.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of ragged
Verb
  • Prosecutors allege Shakur was killed to avenge the rapper's entourage attacking Davis' nephew, Anderson, a few hours earlier at the MGM Grand after a boxing match involving Mike Tyson.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Forty of those have been delivered, Skibitskiy said, and two are suspected to have been used in Radushne, in the Dnipro Region, on 30 July in an attack that killed at least four children from the same family.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of killed
Adjective
  • Walmart, Target and other retailers have been pushing discounts for the fall season, seeking to lure inflation-weary shoppers.
    — Anne D'Innocenzio, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • There were plenty of boulders to sit on, and even a chair someone hauled up for weary hikers.
    — Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of weary
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, the Remarkably Bright Creatures star, 33, embraced a warmer approach, with off-white jeans and a faded blue shirt under a dark blue chore jacket.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Inside the homes, sunlight falls on faded posters, worn furniture, and an old radio by a window.
    — Ana Karina Zatarain, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of faded

Browse Nearby Words

worn on
worn-out
worn out
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Cite this Entry

“Worn-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worn-out. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on worn-out

Nglish: Translation of worn-out for Spanish Speakers

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