wearing

1. 1
   verb

   Present participle and gerund of wear. Use this for an action happening now or as the -ing noun form.

   She is wearing a red coat to the party.

   He kept wearing the same boots all winter.

   Note
2. 2
   adjective

   Making someone feel tired or annoyed over time.

   Like a long walk uphill that slowly tires you out.

   Caring for a sick relative all month can be very wearing.

   The wearing routine of night shifts left her exhausted.

   Similartiring, exhausting, draining, tiresome, fatiguing

   Oppositerestful, refreshing

3. 3
   noununcountable

   Clothing, or the things that people put on.

   Like all the clothes in your closet put together.

   Her best wearing was packed away in a cedar chest.

   The traveler's wearing was caked with dust after the long road.

   Similarclothing, clothes, attire

   Note
4. 4
   adjective

   Meant to be put on the body, like clothes.

   Like a shirt or coat: something made to put on.

   The shop sells all kinds of wearing apparel for the whole family.

   Pack light wearing apparel for the summer trip.

   Note
5. 5
   adjective

   Becoming damaged or thinner from being used a lot, and able to break down over time.

   Like the sole of a shoe that gets thinner the more you walk.

   The wearing parts of an old engine slowly break down.

   Roads need a tough wearing surface to last for years.

   Note
6. 6
   noununcountable

   The act of having clothes or other things on your body.

   Like the act of putting on a jacket before going out.

   The wearing of seatbelts is now required by law.

   Daily wearing of contact lenses can dry out the eyes.

   Note
7. 7
   noununcountable

   Slowly rubbing or grinding something away, bit by bit.

   Like a stone slowly getting smooth in a river.

   The slow wearing of the river smoothed the stones.

   Years of wearing had ground the stone steps into a shallow curve.

   Similarerosion, abrasion

8. 8
   adjective

   Slowly rubbing away at a surface and breaking it down.

   Like sandpaper that slowly rubs wood smooth.

   The wearing action of the waves cut into the cliff.

   Wind has a slow but wearing effect on desert rock.

   Similarerosive, abrasive

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