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Glite Dictionary
worse for wear

worse for wear

12 6.8
Looking or feeling tired and in poor condition after use
  • idiom
: en mal estado
  • You look a little the worse for wear.
  • looks worse for wear
  • much worse for wear
  • somewhat worse for wear

It was looking a bit worse for wear.

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Examples

  • I must say, you're looking a little worse for wear.

    Jupiter Ascending (2015)

  • He's out, a little worse for wear perhaps, a little more subdued than usual.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Hey, you look a little worse for wear.

    Shrink (2009)

  • We passed people coming back, and they looked a bit worse for wear.

    Blog text (23)

  • You look a bit worse for wear, now, don't you?

    The Wicker Man (2006)

  • Peter and Dan were waiting in the lobby, and both of them looked considerably the worse for wear.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Billy, you're looking worse for wear.

    Broken City (2013)

  • You're lookin' a little worse for wear, my boy.

    Leprechaun Returns (2018)

  • Well, you don't look too much the worse for wear, Mr. Gitts, I must say.

    Chinatown (1974)

  • After hiking for hours, I felt a bit worse for wear but still enjoyed the view.

Synonyms

burned-out
vsworse for wear
62 4.4

Very tired after doing too much work for a long time

is broader, covering tiredness from single events and poor condition
worn
vsworse for wear
43 2.8

Looking very tired because of too much work or worry

refers more generally to poor condition or feeling tired after use
fatigued
vsworse for wear
23 4.1

Feeling very tired and having no energy

can also mean physical poor condition following use or an event
played out
vsworse for wear
  • Informal
10 6.7

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

covers both feeling tired and physical poor condition after events
worn-out
vsworse for wear
8 2.4

A person who is very tired and needs rest after hard work

is broader, also used for general poor condition or post-event fatigue
washed-out
vsworse for wear
  • Informal
5 5.1

Being very tired and without energy

adds the idea of being in poor physical condition after use
wearied
vsworse for wear
2 3.4

Feeling very tired after hard physical or mental effort

also applies to objects or general poor condition after events
perishingly tired
vsworse for wear
  • Informal
7.9

Very low on energy and unable to do much

is milder and includes being in poor condition after use or events

Antonyms

refreshed
23 1.5

Feeling rested and full of new energy after a break

well-kept
21 1.8

Neat and in good condition because someone looks after it

How Worn

dilapidated
20 6.2
battered
57 3.7
worse for wear
12 6.8
worn
111 2.1
scuffed
9 3.2

Surface Forms

worse for wear positive

Morphology

worse + for + wear

The components 'worse' (comparative) and 'wear' (deterioration) directly point to being in a poorer condition due to use, so a learner who knows those words can often infer the general sense. However, the prepositional pattern 'for wear' is somewhat idiomatic and the exact phrasing is fixed, so the meaning is only partially predictable without exposure.

Etymology

Worse for wear may come from the image of clothes or tools becoming more used and damaged over time. When something has more wear it looks worse, so the phrase means 'in poor condition' or 'feeling tired and worn out'.