worn-out
Meaning
damaged or shabby from long use or overwork.
extremely tired; exhausted.
Structure
Usage
he threw away his worn-out shoes.
after the long shift, the nurses were completely worn-out.
the argument was based on worn-out clichés.
Etymology
The compound adjective 'worn-out' is a relatively modern formation, emerging from the combination of the past participle 'worn' and the adverbial particle 'out'. The verb 'wear' itself has deep Germanic roots, tracing back to Proto-Germanic wazjaną and ultimately to the pie root wes- (to clothe). The particle 'out' derives from pie úd (up, out, away). The logic of the compound is transparent: an object is 'worn' (diminished by use) to the point of being 'out' (completely used up, exhausted). This literal sense of a depleted object was then metaphorically extended to describe a person's state of extreme fatigue, where one's energy is completely used up.
Analysis
'worn' originates from old english 'werian' (to wear, carry, have on) and functions as the past participle of the verb 'wear'. 'out' originates from old english 'ūt' (out, outside, forth) and functions as an adverbial particle indicating a state of completion or exhaustion.