Standard Lemma guide

well-worn

adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Showing signs of wear because of extensive use.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dog-eared, threadbare, worse for wear, clapped out, damaged, defective, deteriorated, dilapidated, effete, faulty, munted, outworn, passé, past it, past one's prime, raddled, ragged, ravaged, rinky-dink, rough, shabby, stale, tired, unimproved, wasted, weakened, wrecked, wrecksome, worn, worn-out, worsened

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Trite or hackneyed; repeated too often.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: clichéd, overused, played out, banal, bathetic, bromidic, cheesy, stock, commonplace, corny, dog-eared, hackneyed, hoary, overdone, overworked, pat, shopworn, stale, threadbare, timeworn, tired, trite, warmed-over, well-worn

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • bromidic sermons
  • his remarks were trite and commonplace
  • hackneyed phrases
  • a stock answer
  • repeating threadbare jokes
  • parroting some timeworn axiom
  • the trite metaphor `hard as nails'

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: banal, commonplace, hackneyed, old-hat, shopworn, stock(a), threadbare, timeworn, tired, trite

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

showing signs of much wear or use

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: kulunut — showing signs of heavy use
  • Finnish: käytössä kulunut — showing signs of heavy use
  • Latin: trītus — showing signs of heavy use
  • Polish: znoszony — showing signs of heavy use
  • Polish: zdarty — showing signs of heavy use
  • Chinese Mandarin: 老生常談的 /老生常谈的 (lǎoshēngchángtán de) — repeated too often
  • Finnish: kulunut — repeated too often
  • Polish: wyświechtany — repeated too often