Meanings
comparative more well-worn · superlative most well-worn
- Showing signs of wear because of extensive use.
Well she's black as coal, but she burn like a fire, And she wrap herself around you like a well-worn tire.
1975, “Island Girl”, in Bernie Taupin (lyrics), Rock of the Westies, performed by Elton JohnSynonyms: dog-eared, threadbare, worse for wear, clapped out, damaged, defective, deteriorated, dilapidated
- broadlyTrite or hackneyed; repeated too often.
The decay of social norms and status quo systems triggering an authoritarian tightening of the screws is a well-worn pattern throughout human history.
2023 August 28, Charles Hugh Smith, Neither Comply Nor ResistSynonyms: clichéd, overused, played out, banal, bathetic, bromidic, cheesy, stock
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveShowing signs of wear because of extensive use.
adjectiveTrite or hackneyed; repeated too often.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveshowing signs of much wear or use
adjectiverepeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 老生常談的 /老生常谈的
- 老生常談的 /老生常谈的 (lǎoshēngchángtán de)repeated too often
Finnish kulunut, käytössä kulunut
- kulunutshowing signs of heavy use
- käytössä kulunutshowing signs of heavy use
- kulunutrepeated too often
Latin trītus
- trītusshowing signs of heavy use
Polish znoszony, zdarty
- znoszonyshowing signs of heavy use
- zdartyshowing signs of heavy use
- wyświechtanyrepeated too often
Cite this entry
well-worn. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/well-worn
“well-worn.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/well-worn. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “well-worn,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/well-worn.
Source: well-worn on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.