wear and tear

American  

[tair] / tɛər /

Or wear-and-tear

noun

1. damage or deterioration resulting from ordinary use; normal depreciation.

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wear and tear British  

noun

1. damage, depreciation, or loss resulting from ordinary use

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wear and tear Idioms  

1. Damage and deterioration resulting from ordinary use and exposure, as in This sofa shows a lot of wear and tear; we should replace it. [Second half of 1600s]

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Etymology

Origin of wear and tear

First recorded in 1660–70

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wear and tear

This puts extra strain on the neck and can cause pain or early wear and tear of the neck joints.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

But just months after this career highlight, symptoms Dan thought were sciatic nerve pain and wear and tear were revealed to be benign tumours in his spine, which needed to be operated on immediately.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

Some wrote anxiously about the “strain . . . being felt throughout the services, in terms of wear and tear on the troops, their families, and their equipment.”

From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026

Lower limb injuries including sprains, bone damage and wear and tear of the tendons are common, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Smiling, he said, “I can’t see any wear and tear anywhere. You both look like you’re in pretty good shape to me.”

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

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Related Words

• depletion
• depreciation
• erosion

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