(the) worse for wear
idiom
: in worse condition after doing or experiencing something
He came out of basic training only slightly the worse for wear.
The kids emerged from the woods looking none the worse for wear.
Examples of (the) worse for wear in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
So too is an exchange between two men who seem more than a little worse for wear and are attempting to take lumps out of one another.
—
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Our heroes face dire odds time and again, but invariably their various superpowers (resurrection, invisibility, summoning the dead, etc.) excise them from each pickle, a little worse for wear but mostly intact.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
On average, each race took less than three and a half hours, but the last one left him feeling worse for wear.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025
McKenna has been trying to bring him in for years, and the detective is visibly the worse for wear because of it.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for (the) worse for wear
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.
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Our heroes face dire odds time and again, but invariably their various superpowers (resurrection, invisibility, summoning the dead, etc.) excise them from each pickle, a little worse for wear but mostly intact.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
On average, each race took less than three and a half hours, but the last one left him feeling worse for wear.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025
McKenna has been trying to bring him in for years, and the detective is visibly the worse for wear because of it.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for (the) worse for wear
Cite this Entry
“(the) worse for wear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/%28the%29%20worse%20for%20wear. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share