# worse for wear

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/worse-for-wear
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

In poor physical condition due to long or heavy use.

## Examples

- My shoes look worse for wear after the hike.
- The old sofa was worse for wear after years of kids jumping on it.
- The family car, once a gleaming source of pride, sat in the driveway worse for wear, its paint faded and bumper dented from a decade of road trips and winters.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.