Synonyms

wearing

American

[wair-ing] / ˈwɛər ɪŋ /

adjective

gradually impairing or wasting.

Reading small print can be wearing on the eyes.
wearying or exhausting.

a wearing task.
relating to or made for wear.

wearing British

/ ˈwɛərɪŋ /

adjective

causing fatigue or exhaustion; tiring

"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

unwearing adjective
wearingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of wearing

First recorded in 1805–15; wear + -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.

Haywood is the daughter of Daphne Dunne, a servicewoman and war widow who met the Prince in 2015 during a previous visit; she was wearing her husband's Victoria Cross.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

Her part-time assistant, Keith Johnson, was wearing a “Trash Club Hollyood” T-shirt.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

An unknowing visitor to the U.S. in 2026 might be forgiven for wondering why more Americans aren’t hobbling around in leg casts and wearing neck braces.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

The Cadillac passengers said Morgan was wearing a black T-shirt and was yelling something they could not hear.

From Slate • Apr. 17, 2026

I can picture his dad at that game so clearly, wearing a Union scarf and pointing out the best players.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

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