outworn

adjective

out·​worn ˌau̇t-ˈwȯrn How to pronounce outworn (audio)
: no longer useful or acceptable : outmoded
an outworn social system

Examples of outworn in a Sentence

an outworn set of beliefs outworn clothes with holes in them
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This was not a forgone conclusion at the time; indeed, during the 1930s, democracy was widely viewed as an outworn political form. Taeku Lee, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2013 Perhaps that’s the legacy of outworn stereotypes about corruption or a lack of the type of political will that’s brought more rapid changes to corporate governance and sustainable investing standards in, for example, some Nordic countries. Cassie Werber, Quartz, 7 June 2022 This colossal tactical error has been compounded by the lingering centrist deference to a long-outworn image of the Supreme Court as a grand impartial arbiter of constitutional outcomes. Chris Lehmann, The New Republic, 10 Feb. 2022 So, the high temperature of 62 seemed an obvious anachronism, an outdated and outworn remnant of earlier times. Washington Post, 9 May 2021 Now, two decades into a new century, the magazine remains, if anything, more committed than ever to its first principles—and most of all, to the need to rethink outworn assumptions and political superstitions as radically changing conditions demand. Press Release, The New Republic, 26 Mar. 2021 In the week to come use the opportunities and insights that arise to rid yourself of outworn ideas, attitudes and habits. Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive.com, 11 Aug. 2019 Sartorial inheritance is perhaps innocuous, even if personally significant, whereas conflating outworn ideas of identity with homage is profoundly dangerous. Aram Mrjoian, Longreads, 15 June 2019 Removing a president requires the president’s welcome to be really, really, really outworn. T.a. Frank, The Hive, 18 May 2017

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1522, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of outworn was circa 1522

Dictionary Entries Near outworn

Cite this Entry

“Outworn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outworn. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

outworn

adjective
out·​worn au̇t-ˈwō(ə)rn How to pronounce outworn (audio)
-ˈwȯ(ə)rn
: worn-out sense 1, out-of-date
an outworn system
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