1. 1過時的、陳舊無用的(多指觀念、制度、說法,不是衣服穿破)

    When something is outworn, it has been around so long that it feels old-fashioned now, and it does not really do a useful job any more. English speakers use this word mostly for ideas, rules, habits, and ways of thinking — not for shoes or shirts. You will see phrases like outworn beliefs, an outworn custom, outworn language: the picture is that the thing once had a purpose, but the world has moved on and the old form is empty. It is a rather adjective. In ordinary talk people are more likely to say outdated, old-fashioned, or worn-out. Though actually those are not perfect twins. Worn-out is the everyday word for a tired person or a thin jumper; outworn leans toward “this idea has had its day.” It can sound a little severe, as if the speaker is ready to throw the old thing away. You do not need it at the shops; you will meet it in essays, news, and careful speech.

組成Historically the past form of outwear (out- “beyond / completely” + wear). The adjective sense “no longer useful” grew from “worn until it is finished.”

同家族的字

  • wearthe verb at the root of worn / outworn
  • wornthe same past form, without out-
  • worn-outthe everyday cousin; more for people and clothes
  • outwearthe verb whose past form outworn originally was

原始詞典資料4 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法,摘錄並精簡格式,我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的;有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

outwornadj

  • 1

    no longer usable

  • 2

    worn out

    • Unlasting passion, soon outworn conceit, Whereon I built, and on so dureless trust!
    • Gleaming shell of an outworn lie; fable of Right divine— You gained your crowns by heritage, but Blood was the price of mine.
  • 3

    out of date

    • Unitarian Universalists urge reflection upon outworn religious assumptions and propose a serious religious alternative that affirms reason, science, human intuition and lived experience as profoundly as it affirms ancient religious traditions.

這個拼法也被記錄為下列字的變化形:

  • outwear

摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary,已精簡格式;依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用,改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。