the worse for wear Definition

wear¹
verb wore, worn, wearing

1. To be dressed in something, or have it on one's body.

Thesaurus: dress, put on, don, be clothed in, have on, cover, wrap, get into.
2. To have (one's hair or beard, etc) cut a certain length or in a certain style.
3. To have (a certain expression).
4. To display or show something.
5. Said of a ship: to fly (a flag).
intr
6. Said of a carpet or garment: to become thin or threadbare through use.

Thesaurus: erode, decay, deteriorate, waste, fade.
7. To make (a hole or bare patch, etc) in something through heavy use.
intr
8. To bear intensive use; to last in use.
9. colloq
To accept (an excuse or story, etc) or tolerate (a situation, etc).
10. To tire.

Example: worn to a frazzle

noun

1. The act of wearing or state of being worn.
2. Clothes suitable for a specified purpose, person or occasion, etc.

Example: menswear
Example: evening wear
3. The amount or type of use that clothing or carpeting, etc gets.

Example: subjected to heavy wear
4. Damage caused through use. See also wear and tear.

Thesaurus: depreciation, erosion, damage, corrosion, dilapidation.

Derivative: wearer
noun

Idiom: wearing thin

Becoming thin or threadbare.

Said of an excuse, etc: becoming unconvincing or ineffective through over-use.

Idiom: the worse for wear

Showing signs of wear.

Showing signs of exhaustion or intoxication, etc.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon werian.

Phrasal Verb: wear away or wear something away

To become or make something thin, or to disappear or make something disappear completely, through rubbing or weathering, etc.

Phrasal Verb: wear down or wear something down

To become reduced or consumed, or to reduce or consume something, by constant use, rubbing, friction, etc.

Phrasal Verb: wear someone down

To tire or overcome them, especially with persistent objections or demands.

Phrasal Verb: wear off

Said of a feeling or pain, etc: to become less intense; to disappear gradually.

Phrasal Verb: wear on

Said of time: to pass.

Phrasal Verb: wear on someone

To irritate them.

Phrasal Verb: wear out or wear something out

To become unusable or make it unusable through use. See also worn out.

Phrasal Verb: wear someone out

To tire them completely; to exhaust them.

Phrasal Verb: wear through

Said of clothing, etc: to develop a hole through heavy wear.

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worse
adj

1. More bad

Example: to be blind or deaf ‐ which is worse?
2. More ill.
3. More grave, serious or acute.
4. Inferior in standard.

Thesaurus: poorer, inferior, deteriorated.

noun

1. Something worse.

Example: Worse was to follow

adverb

1. Less well; more badly.

Example: He's doing worse at school

Idiom: could do worse than ... (might do worse than ...)

Should consider (doing something).
Example: You could do worse than end up with him

Idiom: go from bad to worse

To get worse; to deteriorate.

Idiom: none the worse for ...

Unharmed by (an accident or bad experience, etc).

Idiom: the worse for something

Showing the bad effects of it.

Idiom: the worse for wear

Worn or shabby from use.

In poor condition.

Drunk.

Idiom: worse off

In a worse situation, especially financially.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon wyrsa, the adjective form used as a comparative of bad.