How do you use "Worse for wear" in a sentence?

He arrived looking the worse for wear. A bit worse for wear after last night. She was clearly worse for wear by midnight.

Worse for wear

Q: What does "Worse for wear" mean?

Showing effects of drinking; hungover or still drunk. To be 'worse for wear' or 'the worse for wear' means showing the effects of heavy drinking—either still drunk or hungover. It's a polite way to describe someone who's visibly been drinking heavily. Originally meant showing signs of use or age.

Slang Term British ★★★★☆ Common Neutral

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Meaning: Showing effects of drinking; hungover or still drunk.

显出喝酒后的样子；宿醉或仍然醉着。

Mostrando los efectos del alcohol; con resaca o aún borracho.

飲酒の影響が出ている状態。二日酔いまたはまだ酔っている。

음주의 영향이 나타나는 상태. 숙취이거나 아직 취해 있는.

To be 'worse for wear' or 'the worse for wear' means showing the effects of heavy drinking—either still drunk or hungover. It's a polite way to describe someone who's visibly been drinking heavily. Originally meant showing signs of use or age.

「worse for wear」或「the worse for wear」指明显受到大量饮酒的影响——要么还在醉着，要么正在宿醉。这是一种礼貌的说法，用来形容明显喝多了的人。原本的意思是显示出磨损或老旧的痕迹。

Estar «worse for wear» o «the worse for wear» significa mostrar los efectos de haber bebido mucho, ya sea aún borracho o con resaca. Es una forma educada de describir a alguien que visiblemente ha bebido en exceso. Originalmente significaba mostrar señales de desgaste o uso.

「worse for wear」または「the worse for wear」は、大量に飲酒した影響が見た目に出ている状態を意味します。まだ酔っているか二日酔いのどちらかです。明らかに飲みすぎた人を上品に表現する言い方です。元々は使い古された、年季が入った様子を意味していました。

'worse for wear' 또는 'the worse for wear'는 과음의 영향이 눈에 띄게 나타나는 상태를 말한다—아직 취해 있거나 숙취 상태이다. 눈에 띄게 많이 마신 사람을 정중하게 묘사하는 표현이다. 원래는 오래 사용하여 낡은 상태를 의미했다.

Examples

He arrived looking the worse for wear.
他到的时候看起来明显喝多了
Llegó con pinta de haber bebido demasiado
彼は明らかに飲みすぎた様子で到着した
그는 확실히 과음한 모습으로 도착했다.
A bit worse for wear after last night.
昨晚之后有点不太好
Un poco peor después de anoche
昨夜の後でちょっとぐったりしている
어젯밤 이후로 좀 녹초가 됐어.
She was clearly worse for wear by midnight.
到午夜时她明显已经喝多了
A medianoche estaba claramente afectada por el alcohol
真夜中には彼女は明らかに酔いが回っていた
자정쯤에는 그녀가 확실히 취기가 올라 있었다.

Pronunciation

/wɜːs fə weə/

Usage Guide

Context: observations, polite company, news reports

Tone: euphemistic, polite

✓ Do Say

Worse for wear
喝多了的样子
Pasado de copas
飲みすぎた状態
술기운이 남은
The worse for wear
明显醉了
Con los efectos del alcohol
二日酔いの状態
확실히 취한 상태
A bit worse for wear
有点喝多了
Un poco afectado por la bebida
ちょっと飲みすぎた
좀 과음한

Common Mistakes

Polite way to say drunk or hungover
Often used in news: 'revellers were worse for wear'

Origin & History

Originally describing objects showing damage from use. Applied to people, it politely describes those visibly affected by alcohol. The euphemistic quality makes it usable in polite company where 'pissed' would be crude.

Etymology: From objects showing signs of use or damage

First recorded: 19th century for alcohol context

Cultural Context

Era: 19th century onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: British news euphemisms

Regional notes: British polite euphemism.

Variations

Worse for wearThe worse for wear