tearaway
Americanadjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of tearaway
First recorded in 1825–35; adj., noun use of verb phrase tear away
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.
The actor played Donte Charles, the original school tearaway, before going on to star in Emmerdale and set up a restaurant in Manchester.
From BBC ● Jan. 2, 2023
She had always been a tearaway, her stepmother said.
From New York Times ● Oct. 15, 2022
Iñárritu plucked him out mid-term for Amores Perros and he stole that movie as the twitchy-hipped tearaway who was every bit as feral as his champion rottweiler.
From The Guardian ● May 1, 2020
It involved finding a stunt double for himself via Backstage Casting and making a tearaway suit jacket by hand.
From The Verge ● Oct. 3, 2018
“Duterte Harry” portrays him as the tearaway son of the governor of the province of Davao, whose upbringing was unusual but privileged.
From Economist ● Jun. 21, 2018
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.
