wear out — become unusable
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To become damaged or too old to use, usually because of frequent use over time.
Say it like a native
Textbook These shoes have become unserviceable through constant use.
Native These shoes are completely worn out.
'Wear out' is the everyday verb for something used until it's done; the formal version is stilted.
Pattern: wear out (sth) / wear (sth) out
In use
- My running shoes wore out after a year of daily use.daily life
- If you use cheap headphones every day, they tend to wear out quickly and need replacing.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ My shoes are wore out.
✓ My shoes are worn out.
Past participle is 'worn out', not 'wore out'.
Common collocations
wear out + thing— shoes, the brakes, the carpet, quickly
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'wear', which means to have something on your body.
Related
- wear out (make someone exhausted) — Another meaning of 'wear out' is 'make someone exhausted'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.