tear

Pluraltears

Formstears, tearing, tore, torn

1. 1
   SayTEERUS/tɪɹ/UK/tɪə/

   drop from eyesnouncountable

   A drop of salty water that comes from your eyes when you cry or when something gets in them.

   A tear ran down his face during the sad movie.

   She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled.

   UsageOften tears: she burst into tears. It rhymes with ear.

   Similarteardrop

   Note
2. 2
   ripverbtransitive

   To pull something apart so it breaks or splits into pieces.

   Be careful not to tear the page when you turn it.

   He tore his jeans climbing over the fence.

   UsageIt rhymes with pair. Past forms: tore, torn (I tore it; I have torn it).

   Similarrip, split

   Note
3. 3
   break unityverbtransitive

   To badly damage the way a group, family, or person holds together.

   Like ripping a photo into pieces so it cannot be put back together.

   The long fight tore the family apart.

   Money problems can tear even close friendships apart.

   UsageOften tear apart: the war tore the country apart.

   Similarsplit, divide, rip, rend

   Oppositeunite

4. 4
   verbtransitivewith down

   With down, to destroy a building or other structure completely.

   The city will tear down the old stadium next year.

   They tore the barn down after the fire damaged it.

   UsageSay tear it down.

   Similardemolish, raze, level, flatten

   Oppositebuild, erect, construct

5. 5
   injure (muscle)verbtransitive

   To hurt a part of the body by pulling or stretching it too hard.

   Like ripping paper, but it happens to a muscle or another part of the body.

   He tore a muscle in his leg while playing basketball.

   If you lift heavy boxes the wrong way, you can tear a muscle in your back.

   UsageYou can also say a torn muscle or a torn ligament.

   Similarrupture, pull, rip

6. 6
   rip awayverbtransitive

   To pull something away quickly and with force.

   He tore the wrapping paper off the gift.

   Tear a sheet from your notebook and write your name.

   UsageSay tear off or tear out.

   Similarrip, pull, wrench, yank

7. 7
   nouncountable

   A hole or split made when something is pulled apart.

   There's a tear in my jeans at the knee.

   The old map had tears along every fold.

   UsageSay a tear in your shirt. Tear rhymes with pair.

   Similarrip, split, hole, gash

8. 8
   rushverbintransitive

   To move very fast and with a lot of energy.

   Like a race car speeding around the track.

   The kids tore across the playground at recess.

   Watch the dogs tear around the yard when they're happy.

   UsageSay tear down the road to mean go very fast.

   Similarrace, speed, rush, hurtle, zoom

   Oppositecrawl, creep

   Note
9. 9
   SayTEERUS/tɪɹ/UK/tɪə/

   verbintransitive

   To make tears, the way eyes do when you cry or when smoke gets in them.

   My eyes tear when I cut onions.

   His eyes were tearing from the campfire smoke.

   UsageSay my eyes teared. Tear rhymes with ear, and teared rhymes with feared.

   Similarwater, weep, stream

   Note
10. 10
    SayTEERUS/tɪɹ/UK/tɪə/

    resin dropnouncountable

    A small clear drop of liquid, or a hard clear drop of dried tree sap.

    Clear tears of sap had hardened on the bark of the old pine.

    A single tear of dried sap hung from the cut branch.

    Similardrop, bead, droplet, globule

    Note

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