worn
B1Common across all registers, from informal to formal.
Definition
Meaning
Damaged or deteriorated from prolonged use or exposure.
Showing the effects of strain, fatigue, or hardship; also, an adjective for items or people that have been used extensively.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
"Worn" is primarily the past participle of "wear," but functions as a common adjective describing the resultant state. It implies a process leading to the current condition.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Minor differences may exist in frequency of specific collocations (e.g., 'worn out' vs. 'worn-out' hyphenation preferences in compound adjectives).
Connotations
Identical connotations of age, use, and depletion.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Sbj] be worn (by [Obj])[Sbj] look/feel/appear worn[Sbj] have a worn [noun]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “worn to a frazzle”
- “worn-out welcome”
- “the worn path”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Describing depreciated assets or overworked staff.
Academic
Describing eroded geological features or metaphorical concepts (e.g., 'a worn argument').
Everyday
Describing clothing, furniture, or a tired appearance.
Technical
Describing material fatigue in engineering.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The tyres had worn unevenly on the left side.
- Her patience was worn thin by the constant delays.
American English
- The tread on the tires had worn down completely.
- His excuse had worn out its welcome.
adverb
British English
- Not typically used as an adverb. Use 'wornly' (rare).
American English
- Not typically used as an adverb. Use 'wornly' (rare).
adjective
British English
- She had a worn, kindly face.
- He placed the book on the worn leather armchair.
American English
- He had a worn look from working two jobs.
- She walked along the worn path through the woods.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My shoes are very worn.
- The rug is old and worn.
- The pages of the old book were worn and yellow.
- He looked worn after the long journey.
- The argument, though worn, was still trotted out by politicians.
- The stone steps were worn smooth by centuries of footsteps.
- Her idealism had become worn and cynical after years in the bureaucracy.
- The phrase, now worn to meaninglessness, failed to inspire the audience.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a 'worn' WOODEN spoon, its surface smoothed down from years of stirring.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS AN ERODING FORCE (e.g., 'worn by time').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'изношенный' only for objects; for people, 'измождённый' or 'уставший' is better. Do not translate as 'носил' (past tense verb) when used as an adjective.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'wore' instead of 'worn' as an adjective (e.g., 'a *wore carpet').
- Confusing 'worn' (adjective) with 'worn' (past participle) in passive constructions.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'worn' used as an adjective?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is both. It is the past participle of the verb 'wear' and a very common adjective describing the state resulting from wearing.
'Worn' describes something damaged by use. 'Worn out' is stronger, implying something is exhausted, useless, or completely used up.
Yes, it commonly describes a person who looks tired, strained, or aged by experience (e.g., 'a worn face').
Yes, exactly. Both 'worn' and 'born' are pronounced /wɔːrn/ in American English and /wɔːn/ in British English.
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