careworn

adjective

care·​worn ˈker-ˌwȯrn How to pronounce careworn (audio)
: showing the effect of grief or anxiety
a careworn face

Examples of careworn in a Sentence

He has a careworn face. He looks tired and careworn.
Recent Examples on the Web His Ethan has become more careworn, jaded, emotionally bruised; he’s acquired the gravitas that comes with loss. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 July 2023 Olena Voievoda Ukrainians are increasingly careworn after a year of war. John Hilliard, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Mar. 2023 Indeed the film’s whole ensemble, even at its most fractiously opposed, is steered toward creased, careworn restraint rather than shouty grandstanding. Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2023 His face has a careworn quality now, with fatigue and layers of pain around the eyes. Time, 7 Dec. 2022 The Futurist Cookbook wasn't meant to be an instructive culinary text or a careworn book in the kitchens of Milan. Amanda Arnold, Bon Appétit, 23 June 2022 On a recent Friday, Dolores, a large, careworn woman of fifty, lay in a bed built from used rods and wooden planks. Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 18 Jan. 2022 Pantomimes stuck with that convention, and one of the stars is still a man dressed as a careworn mother — the Dame. Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 15 Dec. 2021 The cheap, careworn hide suggests many things — neglect, decay, unraveling. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Nov. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'careworn.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1790, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of careworn was in 1790

Dictionary Entries Near careworn

Cite this Entry

“Careworn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/careworn. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

careworn

adjective
care·​worn -ˌwō(ə)rn How to pronounce careworn (audio)
-ˌwȯ(ə)rn
: showing the effect of grief or worry
a careworn face

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