world-weary

/ˈwɜːld ˌwɪəɹi/

//ˈwɜːld ˌwɪəɹi// adj

"world-weary" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“world-weary” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Tired of the ways of the world; feeling apathetic or cynical due to one's life experiences.

Corpus desk

Index EN-world-weary · world-weary · English

world-weary · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "W" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for world-weary
PropertyValue
Headwordworld-weary
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈwɜːld ˌwɪəɹi/
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “world-weary” in English

world-wearyranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

world-weary is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈwɜːld ˌwɪəɹi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for world-weary, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From world + weary. The correct English form is world-weary, spelled W-O-R-L-D---W-E-A-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Tired of the ways of the world; feeling apathetic or cynical due to one's life experiences.
  2. 2
    Bored with life.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how world-weary appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. O here Will I ſet vp my euerlaſting reſt: And ſhake the yoke of inauſpicious ſtarres From this world-wearied fleſh: […]
  2. Till you ſhall bid this ſad, world weary ſpirit, / To peaceful regions wing her weary flight.

Etymology

From world + weary.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "world-weary"?
"world-weary" is spelled W-O-R-L-D---W-E-A-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɜːld ˌwɪəɹi/.
What does "world-weary" mean?
As an adjective, "world-weary" means: Tired of the ways of the world; feeling apathetic or cynical due to one's life experiences.
How do you pronounce "world-weary"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "world-weary" is /ˈwɜːld ˌwɪəɹi/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "world-weary"?
From world + weary. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list