When something is worn, it shows signs of damage or deterioration from being used over time. Your favorite sneakers become worn after months of running and playing: the soles get smooth, the fabric frays, and maybe there are scuffs on the toes. A well-loved book gets worn pages from being read again and again. A wooden desk becomes worn where countless students have rested their elbows.

The word can describe people too. After hiking all day, you might feel worn out, meaning exhausted. Someone who looks worn appears tired or aged, their face showing the effects of stress or worry.

Worn is also the past participle of “wear,” used to describe what someone has had on their body: “She had worn that same lucky shirt to every soccer game.” The phrase worn down means gradually weakened or eroded, like a stone step worn down by thousands of footsteps, or a person's patience worn down by constant interruptions.

Interestingly, worn items can become more valuable rather than less. A worn baseball glove fits your hand perfectly. A worn path through the woods shows you the safest way through. Sometimes the signs of use make things better, not worse.