- to use up or destroy by wearing
- to last or wear longer than
- to outlive, outgrow, or develop beyond
- to deplete or exhaust in strength, determination, etc
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
out•worn /ˈaʊtˈwɔrn/USA pronunciation
adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- out-of-date;
no longer modern or useful:outworn economic theories.
out•worn
(out′wôrn′, -wōrn′),USA pronunciation adj.
v.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- out-of-date, outmoded, or obsolete:outworn ideas; outworn methods.
- worn-out, as clothes.
- exhausted in strength or endurance, as persons.
v.
- pp. of outwear.
- out- + worn 1555–65
out•wear
(out′wâr′),USA pronunciation v.t., -wore, -worn, -wear•ing.
- to wear or last longer than;
outlast:a well-made product that outwears its competition. - to exhaust in strength or endurance:The daily toil had soon outworn him.
- to outlive or outgrow:Perhaps he will outwear those eccentricities.
- to wear out;
destroy by wearing:A child outwears clothes quickly. - to pass (time):trying to outwear the hours by reading.
- out- + wear 1535–45
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
outwear /ˌaʊtˈwɛə/ vb ( -wears, -wearing, -wore, -worn) (transitive)
'outworn' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):