Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
👞 Very old 😩 Very tired
worn-out

worn-out

2.4
A person who is very tired and needs rest after hard work
  • adjective
  • /wɔrn aʊt/
translation icon : agotado (personas)
  • He's a worn-out man.

And the people who used to step in and help them are now worn out.

Autoplay Next

Examples

Synonyms

weary
vsworn-out
129 3.2

Feeling very tired after hard work or long effort

also names objects that are no longer useful after much use
exhausted
vsworn-out
104 2.0

Very tired and completely used up for a person or thing after using all energy

also covers objects or things no longer effective from long use
burned-out
vsworn-out
27 4.4

Very tired after doing too much work for a long time

also includes physical wear or long use that breaks items
fatigued
vsworn-out
13 4.1

Feeling very tired and having no energy

extends this idea to things worn by long use as well
played out
vsworn-out
  • Informal
10 6.7

Very tired or no longer interesting because people use it too much

covers that loss of usefulness and also human tiredness from use
gone
vsworn-out
  • Informal
9 7.4

Extremely tired with no energy

also refers to physical items that no longer function well
worse for wear
vsworn-out
8 6.8

Looking or feeling tired and in poor condition after use

is stronger, meaning completely unusable or exhausted from long use
well-worn
vsworn-out
5 3.7

Used many times so it looks old or damaged

is the same idea but also applies to people feeling exhausted
worn
vsworn-out
4 2.1

Damaged and showing signs of long use

adds human tiredness and complete loss of effectiveness to that sense
knackered
vsworn-out
  • UK
3 8.5

Feeling very tired and having no energy

is more general, covering both tired people and damaged items
dog-tired
vsworn-out
  • Informal
3 6.4

Very tired after doing hard work for a long time

is broader and also applies to things failing from heavy use
washed-out
vsworn-out
  • Informal
1 5.1

Being very tired and without energy

adds the idea that heavy use can make things unusable
fagged
vsworn-out
  • UK
1 9.0

Feeling very tired and without energy

also labels things that have become ineffective through heavy use
clapped out
vsworn-out
  • UK
1 8.6

Very tired or worn and not able to work well

is broader, also describing tired people rather than only objects
aweary
vsworn-out
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Very tired in both body and mind from long trouble or hard work

is the modern, common term covering both fatigue and worn objects
spent
vsworn-out
3.5

Very tired and with no energy left

also describes items made ineffective by long use rather than just people
drained
vsworn-out
3.4

Feeling very tired with no energy left

adds the sense of long use causing failure in objects as well
wearied
vsworn-out
3.4

Feeling very tired after hard physical or mental effort

includes that tiredness but also applies to items that no longer work
deuced tired
vsworn-out
  • Archaic
9.9

Feeling very tired and unable to do much

is similar but additionally refers to objects worn by long use
perishingly tired
vsworn-out
  • Informal
7.9

Very low on energy and unable to do much

is broader and also names things failing after long use
outworn
vsworn-out
5.2

An object that has been used a lot and is now damaged or not useful

is broader, also including extreme human tiredness from overwork
overworn
vsworn-out
6.2

Used so much that it looks old or no longer works well

also refers to people becoming utterly exhausted rather than only objects
tuckered
vsworn-out
  • Informal
7.4

Very tired after a lot of activity or a long day

also covers objects that no longer work due to long use

Antonyms

refreshed
1 1.5

Feeling rested and full of new energy after a break

How Tired

worn-out
2.4
spent
3.5
exhausted
104 2.0
to weary
4 4.4
tired
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

worn-out positive

Morphology

worn-out = worn (transparent) = out + worn

The figurative sense 'extremely tired' is a straightforward extension of 'worn' + 'out' (used up, exhausted), so learners can infer it from the parts.

Etymology

Worn-out comes from the verb wear, which can also mean 'to make tired', plus out, meaning 'completely', and you can hear the same idea in the phrase 'to wear someone out'. So a person who is worn-out is completely exhausted or very tired.