wear
Americanverb (used with object)
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to carry or have on the body or about the person as a covering, equipment, ornament, or the like.
to wear a coat;
to wear a saber;
to wear a disguise.
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to have or use on the person habitually.
to wear a wig.
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to bear or have in one's aspect or appearance.
to wear a smile;
to wear an air of triumph.
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to cause (garments, linens, etc.) to deteriorate or change by wear.
Hard use has worn these gloves.
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to impair, deteriorate, or consume gradually by use or any continued process.
Long illness had worn the bloom from her cheeks.
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to waste or diminish gradually by rubbing, scraping, washing, etc..
The waves have worn these rocks.
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to make (a hole, channel, way, etc.) by such action.
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to bring about or cause a specified condition in (a person or thing) by use, deterioration, or gradual change.
You'll wear that outfit to rags if you don't take better care of it.
Years of hard labor had worn him to a shadow.
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to weary; fatigue; exhaust.
Toil and care soon wear the spirit.
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to pass (time) gradually or tediously (usually followed by away orout ).
We wore the afternoon away in arguing.
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Nautical. to bring (a vessel) on another tack by turning until the wind is on the stern.
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British Dialect. to gather and herd (sheep or cattle) to a pen or pasture.
verb (used without object)
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to undergo gradual impairment, diminution, reduction, etc., from wear, use, attrition, or other causes (often followed by away, down, out, oroff ).
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to retain shape, color, usefulness, value, etc., under wear, use, or any continued strain.
a strong material that will wear;
colors that wear well.
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(of time) to pass, especially slowly or tediously (often followed by on oraway ).
As the day wore on, we had less and less to talk about.
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to have the quality of being easy or difficult to tolerate, especially after a relatively long association.
It's hard to get to know him, but he wears well.
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Nautical. (of a vessel) to come round on another tack by turning away from the wind.
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Obsolete. to be commonly worn; to be in fashion.
noun
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the act of wearing; use, as of a garment.
articles for winter wear;
I've had a lot of wear out of this coat.
I had to throw away the shirt after only three wears.
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the state of being worn, as on the person.
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clothing or other articles for wearing; especially when fashionable or appropriate for a particular function (often used in combination).
travel wear;
sportswear.
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gradual impairment, wasting, diminution, etc., as from use.
The carpet shows wear.
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the quality of resisting deterioration with use; durability.
verb phrase
idioms
verb
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(tr) to carry or have (a garment, etc) on one's person as clothing, ornament, etc
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(tr) to carry or have on one's person habitually
she wears a lot of red
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(tr) to have in one's aspect
to wear a smile
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(tr) to display, show, or fly
a ship wears its colours
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to deteriorate or cause to deteriorate by constant use or action
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to produce or be produced by constant rubbing, scraping, etc
to wear a hole in one's trousers
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to bring or be brought to a specified condition by constant use or action
to wear a tyre to shreds
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(intr) to submit to constant use or action in a specified way
his suit wears well
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(tr) to harass or weaken
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(of time) to pass or be passed slowly
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slang (tr) to accept
Larry won't wear that argument
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to change the tack of a sailing vessel, esp a square-rigger, by coming about so that the wind passes astern
noun
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the act of wearing or state of being worn
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anything designed to be worn
leisure wear
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( in combination )
nightwear
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deterioration from constant or normal use or action
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the quality of resisting the effects of constant use
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
- rewear verb
- wearer noun
Etymology
Origin of wear
First recorded before 900; (verb) Middle English weren “to have (clothes) on the body, waste, damage, suffer waste or damage,” Old English werian; cognate with Old Norse verja, Gothic wasjan “to clothe”; (noun) late Middle English were “act of carrying on the body,” derivative of the verb; akin to Latin vestis clothing ( vest )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Ten years ago we transported around 10 million travellers, now we're at a figure of between 22 and 23 million ... what this clearly brings is greater wear and tear and the need for more investment."
From Barron's
Skating to the ‘90s classic “Wannabe,” she wears Ginger Spice’s Union Jack dress, while partner Lewis Gibson dons a sequined version of Scary Spice’s leopard print.
The eagle - which was wearing a satellite tracking device - had relocated from the Outer Hebrides to the area in 2023 as part of project to boost numbers in the area.
From BBC
Some health boards have had to close wards and restrict visiting, with most asking people to wear masks.
From BBC
Inside, Lai, who wore a white jacket and black glasses, smiled brightly at his family and other supporters.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
