tear away

/ tɛə /

verb

tr, adverb to persuade (oneself or someone else) to leave
I couldn't tear myself away from the television

1. a reckless impetuous unruly person
2. ( as modifier )
  a tearaway young man

Remove oneself unwillingly or reluctantly, as in I couldn't tear myself away from that painting . [Late 1700s]

It also includes tear-away postcards your kids can send to their friends.

The old man turned to see that the dog was snuffing about the wall, and ended by beginning to tear away the sawdust at the bottom.

"Yes indeed," said Mrs. Orme, wiping a tear away from her eye as she thought of all the troubles present and to come.

Why did you ever fill my heart so full, and then come in like Death, and tear away the objects of my love?

Tear away these gilded fetters, and let the children of God have free course to run and be glorified.

I felt very sorry for her and so did Cousin Sue, whom I saw wiping a furtive tear away.

April 19, 2024tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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