Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

worn

/woːn/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.26 in modern English

Syllables: worn
IPA: /woːn/

7

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Damaged and shabby as a result of much use.

adj

Worn out; exhausted.

verb

past participle of wear

Example Sentences

"Upon this, an unhappy-looking woman, in a sort of mourning, neat, but sadly worn, hid her face behind a meagre bundle, and was heard to sob."
"In Pisa, where [Galileo] was born, I climbed the worn steps of the tower that has been leaning southward almost from the day it was built in the 13th century."
"Preëminently is the Lake District suited for the jaded and worn, who seek in solitude and amidst scenery unmoiled and unsullied by human artifice, refreshment alike of body and spirit."

Etymology

By analogy to past participles like torn from tear and sworn from swear.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /woːn/
British English: /wɔːn/

Inflected Forms

more worn (comparative) most worn (superlative) worne (alternative, obsolete)

Derived Forms

bodyworn forworn outworn

Phrases

body-worn body-worn camera nap-worn shelf-worn worn-in worn-out worn out

Synonyms

careworn drawn haggard raddled

Homonyms

warn (horse–hoarse merger) warn

Rhymes With

born first-born porn corn horn torn warn sworn borne thorn mourn reborn

Questions

How do you pronounce worn?: The recorded pronunciation is /woːn/.
What does worn mean?: Damaged and shabby as a result of much use.
Where does worn come from?: By analogy to past participles like torn from tear and sworn from swear.

How to pronounce worn

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “worn”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/woːn/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “worn”.
Repeat and practice — Say “worn” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.