worn-out

/ˈwɔːn.aʊt/

//ˈwɔːn.aʊt// adj

"worn-out" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Damaged due to continued or hard exposure or use until no longer effective or useful.

Corpus desk

Index EN-worn-out · worn-out · English

worn-out · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 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 worn-out
PropertyValue
Headwordworn-out
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈwɔːn.aʊt/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “worn-out” in English

worn-outfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Rare enough to double-check

worn-out is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈwɔːn.aʊt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for worn-out, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From worn (adjective; and past participle of wear) + out. The correct English form is worn-out, spelled W-O-R-N---O-U-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Damaged due to continued or hard exposure or use until no longer effective or useful.
  2. 2
    Of a person or animal: exhausted or fatigued from exertion.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. There is no challenge in fighting a worn-out old man.
  2. He still wears his old worn-out shoes.

Etymology

From worn (adjective; and past participle of wear) + out.

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 "worn-out"?
"worn-out" is spelled W-O-R-N---O-U-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɔːn.aʊt/.
What does "worn-out" mean?
As an adjective, "worn-out" means: Damaged due to continued or hard exposure or use until no longer effective or useful.
How do you pronounce "worn-out"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "worn-out" is /ˈwɔːn.aʊt/. 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 "worn-out"?
From worn (adjective; and past participle of wear) + out. 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