outworn
outworn Lexical Profile
outworn Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Out of date, obsolete, or no longer useful or accepted (especially of ideas, customs, or institutions).
"The committee voted to replace the outworn regulations with modern, flexible policies."
Worn out or exhausted by long use or age.
"The traveler patched his outworn boots before setting off across the mountain pass."
• verb
To last longer than or prove more durable than another material or object (past participle of outwear).
"These heavy canvas work jackets have outworn every other garment in his wardrobe."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'worn-out' typically describes physical objects that have been damaged by use or people who are exhausted, 'outworn' is almost always used figuratively in formal contexts to describe outdated beliefs, traditions, or clichés.
• Rhymes for outworn
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the 16th century as the past participle of the verb 'outwear', combining the Old English prefix 'ūt-' (out) and 'werian' (to wear or waste away).