tearing

¹

[teer-ing]

adjective

1. shedding tears. tear.

tearing

²

[tair-ing]

adjective

1. violent or hasty.

   with tearing speed.

tearing

/ ˈtɛərɪŋ /

adjective

1. violent or furious (esp in the phrase tearing hurry or rush )

Other Word Forms

• tearingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of tearing¹

before 1000; Old English tæherende (not recorded in ME); tear ¹, -ing ²

Origin of tearing²

First recorded in 1600–10; tear ² + -ing ²

Example Sentences

The sounds of roaring engines, screeching tyres and cracking exhaust pipes are often heard tearing through streets surrounding the Croydon Road Tesco store, as car lovers meet there to show off their wheels.

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It appeared that the helicopter augered into the dirt embankment on the side of the highway, tearing up weeds with its tail rotor before skidding across five freeway lanes.

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“This is shredding it. This is tearing it apart.”

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Canned crescent dough, improbably, was just right: pliable without tearing, sturdy without getting tough, and still capable of a respectable rise.

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Dozens are missing or injured after the typhoon made landfall on Sunday night, flooding roads, washing away bridges and tearing roofs off buildings before weakening and moving into neighbouring Laos.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• agonizing 
• chilling 
• distressing www.thesaurus.com
• disturbing 
• excruciating 
• heart-wrenching 
• heartbreaking 
• painful 
• terrifying 
• torturous 
• traumatic