Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Worn or damaged by moths: Describes fabric, clothing, or materials that have been partially eaten or damaged by moths, resulting in holes or a deteriorated appearance.
   • Old-fashioned and no longer useful or relevant: Describes ideas, theories, or things that are outdated, stale, and lacking in originality or freshness.

Usage and Examples

• Literal meaning (damaged by moths):

  • She pulled a moth-eaten sweater from the back of the drawer.
  • The antique store was filled with moth-eaten tapestries and rugs.

• Figurative meaning (outdated):

  • The professor's lectures were full of moth-eaten ideas that hadn't been updated in decades.
  • They rejected the moth-eaten proposal in favor of a more modern approach.

Advanced Usage

• Used for emphasis: Can be used to strongly emphasize how old and useless something is.
  • His arguments were so moth-eaten that no one in the debate took them seriously.

Variants and Related Words

• Mothballed (adj.): Refers to something (like equipment or a plan) that has been stored away and not used for a long time, but not necessarily damaged.
• Threadbare (adj.): Worn thin with age and use, often of fabric. It can share the figurative meaning of being overused and ineffective.
  • His excuses were threadbare.

Synonyms

• Literal: holey, tattered, frayed.
• Figurative: outdated, antiquated, stale, clichéd, hackneyed.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• To be a moth-eaten idea/cliché: A common phrase to describe an idea that is no longer original or interesting.
  • The "us versus them" mentality is a moth-eaten cliché in politics.

Adjective

1. lacking originality or spontaneity; no longer new
   • moth-eaten theories about race
   • stale news
2. worn or eaten away by (or as if by) moths
   • moth-eaten blankets
3. showing signs of wear and tear
   • a ratty old overcoat
   • shabby furniture
   • an old house with dirty windows and tatty curtains