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Synonyms

tearing

1 American  
[teer-ing] / ˈtɪər ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. shedding tears. tear.

tearing 2 American  
[tair-ing] / ˈtɛər ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. violent or hasty.

    with tearing speed.
tearing British  
/ ˈtɛərɪŋ /

adjective

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • tearingly adverb

Etymology

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He hasn’t competed on tour since the 2024 British Open after tearing his Achilles last year and undergoing what was at least his seventh back surgery.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

The only thing I don’t love about Taix is that its owners are tearing it down to erect soulless condos.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

"Even now we can't play certain songs without tearing up thinking of Joe. He had so much integrity and feeling about the music."

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

But simply tearing down a statue or tearing down an empty building doesn’t change this underlying system.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026

The cat, crazier than usual because it was all wrapped up in a tablecloth, was tearing all over town, yowling and spitting and scratching at anything that got in its way.

From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson

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.