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Glite Dictionary
war-worn

war-worn

8.5
Damaged and tired after long years of war
  • adjective
  • /wɔr-wɔrn/
translation icon : marcado por la guerra
  • And their gesture sad, investing lank, lean cheeks and war-worn coats, presenteth them unto the gazing moon... so many horrid ghosts.

Examples

  • The war-worn soldier returned home, his eyes reflecting the pain of past battles.

  • "And I, war-worn, poor captured fugitive, my life I most gladly give --

    Fiction book (1990)

  • After years of conflict, the war-worn city showed scars of destruction on every corner.

  • The portrait of the war-worn veteran told stories of courage and loss without a single word.

Synonyms

battle-scarred
vswar-worn
2 6.0

Damaged by war or long hardship, often with visible marks

emphasizes tiredness and broad damage rather than visible scarring
war-torn
vswar-worn
1 7.0

People deeply hurt emotionally because of war

is broader, focusing on general weariness and physical harm after conflict

Antonyms

unscathed
33 6.3

Not hurt or damaged after a bad event

How Worn

ruined
1 3.1
war-torn
15 5.5
war-worn
8.5

Surface Forms

war-worn positive

Morphology

war-worn = war + worn (transparent) = war + worn

The meaning is the straightforward result of combining 'war' and 'worn' (damaged or made weary by war).

Etymology

War-worn combines war, meaning 'fighting', and worn, from wear, meaning 'used until old or damaged'. So, war-worn pictures a place or person 'used' by fighting, which is why it means damaged or very tired after war.