: showing the effect of grief or anxiety
a careworn face

Examples of careworn in a Sentence

He has a careworn face. He looks tired and careworn.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There’s certainly a spirit of lively, spontaneous community in the film’s ensemble of screen newcomers, all cast from the region and fluent in its distinctive Henan dialect, who collectively contribute a vital air of careworn, lived-in human texture to proceedings. Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025 McVie had a foghorn of a voice and a careworn face that conveyed the fallout of many, many years of bus rides, motels and late-night diners. Steve Buckley, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1790, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of careworn was in 1790

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Cite this Entry

“Careworn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/careworn. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

careworn

adjective
: showing the effect of grief or worry
a careworn face

More from Merriam-Webster on careworn

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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